Mohamed Attaoui Wins 800m Bronze to Secure Spain’s Second Medal at European Athletics Championships

Spain claimed its second medal at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham on Wednesday, August 13, 2026, when Mohamed Attaoui secured a bronze finish in a tactical men’s 800-meter final, while teammate David Barroso narrowly missed the podium in fourth place, according to race reports from Sport and El Español. The performance matches the delegation’s earlier success provided by Marta García’s silver medal in the 5,000-meter event, with both athletes training under coach Thomas Dreissigacker at E On Athletics.

Tactical 800-Meter Final Unfolds in Birmingham

The men’s 800-meter final was shaped from the start by the absence of British contender Max Burgin, leaving the race wide open, as reported by Sport. Competitors covered the opening lap at a moderate-to-slow pace of 53.39 seconds, signaling that immediate moves would follow. Breaking from his usual conservative racing style, Mohamed Attaoui pushed to the front early, a move that outlets noted reflected his dissatisfaction with standard tactical instructions from his coaching staff.

Ireland’s Mark English ultimately claimed the gold medal with a winning time of 1:45.26, surging past the field in the final straight. Croatia’s Marino Bloudek captured the silver medal in 1:45.62 after shouldering the pace-setting duties for a significant portion of the race. Mohamed Attaoui crossed the finish line in third place with a time of 1:45.71 to secure the bronze, finishing just four hundredths of a second ahead of compatriot David Barroso, who clocked 1:45.75 to take fourth.

Athlete Reactions and Post-Race Assessments

Reflecting on his performance after the race, Mohamed Attaoui admitted mixed feelings about his execution during an interview with RTVE, cited by El Español. “I am happy because the season was not going very well, but I have been able to get here in the best possible way,” Attaoui said. “I have been fighting until the end knowing what the last month and a half had been like. I wanted more, I wanted to be more aggressive, but I lacked it in the last 50 meters. It is a bronze that I would have signed for a month ago.”

David Barroso expressed pride in a strong fourth-place finish during his debut appearance at the European Championships. “I’m leaving with a bit of a thorn in my side because I saw it so close and I believed it,” Barroso noted, according to Sport. “Well, Moha third and I fourth, which is very good. Moha had already told me that he was going to change the tactics a bit. I did what I had planned and I stayed very close to the medals.”

Diego Casas Shines in Discus Throw

Beyond the track events, the Spanish discus contingent delivered a standout performance in Birmingham. Diego Casas finished sixth in the discus final with two identical throws of 65.54 meters, coming within striking distance of his personal best of 65.95 meters, as detailed by Sport. Casas trains in Rome under coach Federico Apolloni, who also works with Italian shot put star Leo Fabbri.

“I am overjoyed. I can’t believe it. Sixth in Europe,” Casas remarked after the competition. “I felt strong from the beginning and I am leaving very satisfied. I want to thank my coach for all the work we are doing.” The discus competition was won by Slovenia’s Kristjan Ceh, who threw 72.51 meters to set a championship record, while world record holder Mykolas Alekna placed second with a mark of 69.89 meters, and Germany’s Henrik Hanssen took bronze at 69.53 meters.

Additional Spanish Results on the Track

In the women’s 200-meter final, Jaël Bestué finished seventh with a time of 22.69 seconds, unable to maintain her early momentum through the curve and final stretch, according to Sport. Britain’s Amy Hunt secured the gold medal in 22.19 seconds to complete a sprint double, followed by Ireland’s Rashidat Adeleke in 22.28 seconds and Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith in 22.29 seconds. Meanwhile, Marta Serrano placed eleventh in the steeplechase final with a time of 9:44.92, in a race won by Germany’s Gesa Felicitas Krause.