At the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, Czech decathlete Tomas Järvinen was forced to withdraw from the competition on Wednesday after aggravating a previous injury during the 100-meter sprint and long jump events, according to race reports.
Tomas Järvinen Withdraws from Decathlon After Injury Recurrence
The 2024 junior world champion entered the Birmingham competition as the top-performing Czech decathlete. Järvinen opened his campaign strongly by clocking 10.82 seconds in the 100-meter sprint, securing the fifth-best performance and 901 points, according to official race data. However, the sprinter felt the recurrence of an old injury during the race, which subsequently flared up in the long jump sector.
“In the middle of the hundred, I felt my hamstring pull. After that, even my head didn’t want to,” Järvinen stated, describing the moment with tears in his eyes as reported by track officials. “I ran through the second attempt in the long jump because it stabbed me in the hamstring in the penultimate step, which was injured before too. With the coach, we said it doesn’t make sense to risk it any further.”
Stráský and Kopecký Advance in Decathlon Standings
While Järvinen exited the field, fellow Czech competitors continued through the opening day disciplines. Stráský—the fourth-place finisher in the heptathlon at the World Indoor Championships—won his 100-meter heat. Stráský recorded a time of 10.88 seconds for 888 points, missing his seasonal maximum by a single hundredth of a second. He followed up by improving his personal best in the long jump to 754 centimeters, placing him fifth overall ahead of the shot put event. Meanwhile, teammate Jan Kopecký notched a seasonal best of 11.21 seconds in the sprint and registered a 710-centimeter mark in the long jump.
Barbora Malíková Misses Semifinals in Women’s 400 Meters
In the women’s 400-meter heats, Czech national champion Barbora Malíková failed to secure a spot in the semifinals. Automatically joined by Lurdes Gloria Manuel in the next round, Malíková lagged behind a quartet of competitors in her heat. Her time of 52.43 seconds fell short of the 13 qualifying spots, leaving her in 15th place overall.
“I didn’t run well, I had stiff legs. The last 100 or 150 meters I was pulling them, but it just wasn’t enough,” said the former youth world champion, who missed her best performance of the season by 84 hundredths of a second. “I’m not happy with the time at all, 52.4 is terrible.”
Mark English Breaks Longstanding Championship Record in 800 Meters
Track history was rewritten during the men’s 800-meter semifinals as Ireland’s Mark English broke a championship record that had stood since 1978. English clocked 1:43.84, besting the mark of 1:43.84 set by former East German runner Olaf Beyer in Prague by 35 hundredths of a second, according to championship timing records. English currently leads the European seasonal lists with a time of 1:42.97. “I had plenty of energy left for the last two hundred, so it turned out great,” said the 33-year-old trained physician.
Pro Tip: Catching the Action Live
Fans looking to follow the afternoon events can tune into the live broadcast starting at 19:20 on ČT sport and ČT sport Plus, featuring ongoing coverage of the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Tomas Järvinen withdraw from the decathlon?
According to Järvinen, he withdrew after aggravating a previous hamstring injury during the 100-meter sprint and experiencing pain again during the long jump.
Who broke the long-standing 800-meter European championship record?
Irish runner Mark English broke Olaf Beyer’s 1978 record in the men’s 800-meter semifinal with a time of 1:43.84, according to official results.
Did Barbora Malíková qualify for the 400-meter semifinals?
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