Wojciech Nowicki once again proved his dominance in the hammer throw at the European Championships, securing his fourth consecutive gold medal. The Polish athlete, already a two-time European champion and Olympic gold medalist, triumphed with a stunning throw of 80.95 meters in his final attempt, surpassing his rivals and solidifying his legacy in the sport.
Since 2016, Polish athletes have been a formidable force in the men’s hammer throw at the European Championships. Paweł Fajdek initiated this winning streak in 2016, followed by Nowicki’s consecutive victories in the subsequent championships. This year’s competition reaffirmed Nowicki’s prowess as he battled through a series of tense rounds.
Nowicki’s performance began with a promising throw of 78.61 meters, which he quickly improved to 80.14 meters in his second attempt, securing an early lead. However, the competition intensified as Hungary’s Bence Halász threw 80.49 meters in the fourth round, temporarily taking the lead. Ukraine’s Mykhaylo Kokhan also surpassed Nowicki with a throw of 80.18 meters in the next round, pushing the Polish champion to third place.
Nowicki launched his final throw to a remarkable 80.95 meters, reclaiming the top spot and clinching the gold medal. Neither Halász nor Kokhan could surpass this distance in their final attempts, securing Nowicki’s victory.
𝐖𝐎𝐉𝐂𝐈𝐄𝐂𝐇 𝐍𝐎𝐖𝐈𝐂𝐊𝐈 𝐰 𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐧𝐢𝐦 𝐫𝐳𝐮𝐜𝐢𝐞❗
— TVP SPORT (@sport_tvppl) June 9, 2024
𝐌𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐙❗ 𝐌𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐙❗𝐌𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐙❗ pic.twitter.com/it1hAuoaQb
Meanwhile, Paweł Fajdek, another prominent Polish hammer thrower, finished sixth with his best throw of 77.50 meters, achieved in his fifth attempt. Despite not reaching the podium, Fajdek’s performance contributed to the overall strong showing by Polish athletes in the event.