Olympic champions Ingebrigtsen and Warholm to defend European titles in Munich

Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Karsten Warholm will spearhead Norway’s team for the Munich 2022 European Athletics Championships from 15-21 August, part of the wider multi-sport European Championships in the Bavarian capital from 11-21 August.

Ingebrigtsen famously broke through at the 2018 European Athletics Championships in Berlin where he won an unprecedented 1500m and 5000m double on back-to-back nights at the age of 17.

Now 21, Ingebrigtsen is the reigning Olympic 1500m champion and arrives fresh from winning the 5000m title at the World Athletics Championships in Oregon. He also holds the European records in both events.

Ingebrigtsen looks set to defend both his 1500m and 5000m titles in Munich and the timetable is amenable to such a double. The 5000m final is scheduled for 16 August with the 1500m final due to take place two nights later on 18 August. 

Warholm will be seeking to become the first athlete since the great Harald Schmid in 1986 to win back-to-back European titles in the 400m hurdles.

The world record-holder’s season has been disrupted by a thigh injury which he sustained on his season’s opener in the Rabat Diamond League but Warholm has battled back to fitness and put up a staunch defence of his world title in Oregon where he finished seventh. 

The Norwegian team also features reigning Olympic hammer silver medallist Eivind Henriksen and European 3000m steeplechase bronze medallist Karoline Bjerkeli Grøvdal who has registered for the 1500m, 5000m and 10,000m.

There will be high expectations in both pole vault competitions as well. Brothers Sondre and Simen Guttormsen form a strong triumvirate in the men's pole vault competition alongside Pal Haugen Lillefosse while Lene Retzius will be a medal contender in the women's pole vault having improved the Norwegian record to 4.70m this season.

Norway won three gold medals at the 2018 European Athletics Championships in Berlin and finished eighth overall on the medal table.

posted Wednesday August 10th