The third day of the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham brought a sharp mix of triumph and disappointment for the Spanish delegation, highlighted by unexpected exits in the sprint hurdles and strong qualification performances in the middle-distance events, according to reports from El Correo.
Hurdles Heavyweights Stumble in Birmingham Semifinals
Spain entered the 110-meter hurdles with high expectations for podium finishes, leaning on the established international pedigree of both Asier Martínez and Enrique Llopis. Instead, both athletes failed to advance past the semifinal round during the evening session.
Asier Martínez faced trouble immediately after a poor start forced him to chase the field without finding a rhythm over the barriers. The Navarrese athlete, who earned a European title in Munich in 2022 and a bronze medal at the Eugene World Championships the same year, finished fourth in his semifinal heat. His time of 13.45 seconds ultimately left him outside the qualification cutoff for the final.
«I don’t have an explanation. I didn’t know how to compete and run when I had to. It’s been a combination of factors, from the start, and it’s been a disappointment,» Martínez told Teledeporte after his elimination, as noted by El Correo.
Enrique Llopis experienced a nearly identical trajectory in the following heat. The Valencian hurdler—who won silver at the European Championships in Rome and a silver medal in the 60-meter hurdles at the World Indoor Championships—produced an irregular start and an unfluent race, crossing the line third in his heat to miss the final directly. Llopis later pointed to a difficult outdoor season complicated by physical setbacks as the root cause of his struggles at the venue.
«There are better and worse moments, I have hit rock bottom and now we have to get out of here,» Llopis said regarding his performance, pointing toward the upcoming indoor circuit as a chance to reset.
Middle-Distance Runners Secure Final Berths
In stark contrast to the hurdles events, the morning session delivered success for Spain’s 800-meter runners. David Barroso and Mohamed Attaoui both secured their places in the final.
Barroso navigated a slower tactical heat to finish third with a time of 1:44.96. Meanwhile, Attaoui contested a fast-paced race, running under 1:44 to claim fourth place and advance on time.
«I finished much heavier in the first round than today. I reached the final 100 meters with tremendous strength and, as soon as I crossed the finish line, I knew I was in. And for the final, I will be even better,» Attaoui said after his race.
The successful morning session also extended to the women’s events, where Jael Bestué secured qualification for the 200-meter final by finishing second in her heat behind Great Britain’s Amy Hunt. Bestué recorded a time of 22.59 seconds, positioning herself for the evening medal events.
What Comes Next
The Spanish team will look to rebound during the remaining sessions of the European Championships in Birmingham, with the middle-distance and sprint finals serving as immediate opportunities for redemption on the continental stage.
