There was a magical championship at the Fana Stadium, a very nice forest integrated athletics facility in Bergen. The championship was hailed as one of the best ever in history, as the crowd witnessed a stunning event and area records, including home-grown heroine Henriette Jaeger's stylish 49.74 mark in 400 metres.
Actually, Jaeger's superb championship record was part of "one-lap insanity" that happened on Saturday afternoon. Within just an hour, the four one-lap finals in flat and hurdles saw speculative finishes back to back, all of them concluded with a new top mark in history.
But still, the most impressive championship record came on Friday from Italian Francesco Pernici. Pushed by Niels Laros, who became a top star in Bergen by securing a rare 800-5000 double, Pernici clocked an amazing 1:44.08 in a rapidly running heat one, crashing Niels Schumann's 26-year-old CR mark by more than a second! What you believe in, the six contestants led by Pernici were under the previous mark!
Swiss top talent Audrey Werro claimed a gold medal in the 800 metres after a full-commanded race, clocking 1:57.41 with a 56.9 first lap. She led the first-ever podium where all three names ran under two minutes.
At the closing stage, it became a relay of craziness. The championship records in all four relay races have been broken as three European U23 records established. In the women's 4x4, the British quartet broke the European U23 record with 3:26.52 - which also replaces the previous CR that had stood since 2007, set by Russians. In the men's side, France dominated the 4x100 field by clocking 38.43 European U23 record, and Spain claimed their first 4x400 male victory to marking 3:02.02.
Wrapping up the total numbers, there were three European U23, 12 championship, and 61 national records (10 in the seniors) have been written down in the annals.
THE CHAMPIONSHIP RECORDS BROKEN IN BERGEN (13)
Men's 400m - Jonas Phiffers (NED) 44.82 / Previous: 45.02, 2021
Men's 800m - Francesco Pernici (ITA) 1:44.06 / 1:45.21, 1999
Men's 3000SC - Maciej Megier (POL) 8:20.17 / 8:25.86, 2003
Men's 400H - Owe Fischer-Breiholz (GER) 48.01 / 48.37, 2017
Men's 4x100m - France 38.43 / 38.70, 2021
Men's 4x400m - Spain 3:02.02 / 3:02.13, 2007
Women's 400m - Henriette Jaeger (NOR) 49.74 / 50.72, 2005
Women's 800m - Audrey Werro (SUI) 1:57.42 / 1:58.94, 2007
Women's 400H - Emily Newnham (GBR) 54.08 / 54.28, 2021
Women's Heptathlon - Saga Vanninen (FIN) 6563 / 6396, 2009
Women's 4x100m - Great Britain 42.92 / 43.05, 2021
Women's 4x400m - Great Britain 3:26.52 / 3:26.58, 2007
THE EUROPEAN U23 RECORDS BROKEN IN BERGEN (3)
Men's 4x100m - France 38.43
Men's 4x400m - Spain 3:02.02
Women's 4x400m - Great Britain 3:26.52
