Day 5 Preview: Athletics And Beach Volleyball Join The Party
An action-packed weekend at the European Championships Munich 2022 saw 44 new European champions crowned. Things might get quieter on Monday when it comes to medal decisions, but surely not in terms of noise, as crowd-pullers athletics and beach volleyball enter the multi-sport mix. Follow all events via our live blog.
© Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile via Getty Images
HISTORY ON THE CARDS
While Munich 2022’s slogan Back to the Roofs refers to the roots of the 1972 Olympic Games, it could equally be a tailormade tagline for the European Athletics Championships, which are returning to the unique tent roof architecture of Olympiastadion 20 years after Munich last hosted the continental championships.
Fans can look forward to seven days of track, field and road race action, with a total of 50 medals up for grabs. The first titles will be awarded on Monday, as champions will be crowned in the marathon as well as the men’s and women’s shot put in the evening.
Read the full athletics preview here.
© David Hecker/Munich 2022
CHANGING OF THE GUARDS
There will be a new king and queen crowned in the mixed doubles, as Munich 2022 table tennis action resumes in Rudi-Sedlmayer-Halle on Monday.
Robert Gardos (AUT) and Sofia Polcanova (AUT) had dethrowned the defending champions Dang Qiu (GER) and Nina Mittelham (GER) and are looking to end their campaign with medals around their necks.
They will go up against Ovidiu Ionescu (ROU) and Bernadette Szőcs (ROU). After early exits in the past two European championships, Ionescu hopes that this is the year that they will go all the way.
"Last year we lost against the Germans who became European champions, and four years ago, (they lost) also against the Germans, (and) they became European champions,” he said.
"I know that we are capable of winning the gold medal and to fight for the podium. It was painful but we learn from these defeats and we are here in the semifinals."
In the first semifinal of the day Emmanuel Lebesson (FRA) and Jianan Yuan (FRA) take on Ľubomír Pištej (SVK) and Barbora Balážová (SVK).
Check out the full table tennis preview here.
CHASING THE CHAMPS
It will be a case of chasing the reigning champions when the CEV EuroBeachVolley begins on Monday. The matches will be contested at Königsplatz, neighbouring the sport climbing events.
There are 32 teams per gender competing to be crowned European champions, with 31 of the 32 teams per gender out to catch the title holders - Tanja Hüberli and Nina Brunner from Switzerland, and Norway’s Anders Mol and Christian Sørum.
Germany’s best hopes for a medal in the women’s tournament come from Cinja Tillmann and Svenja Müller who claimed bronze at this year’s world championships and will kick off the action on the centre court against French pair Clémence Vieira/Aline Chamereau.
Check out our full preview here.
© Karl-Josef Hildenbrand / Munich 2022
DECATHLON OF TRACK CYCLING
It’s time for the all-rounders to line up on the boards of Messe München for the men’s and women’s omnium on Monday. There’s a total of four European titles up for grabs.
Besides two in the omnium events, the men will contest the 1000m time trial and Emma Hinze (GER) will aim at a third gold medal in the women’s individual sprint after the team sprint title on Friday and the 500m time trial gold on Saturday.
Track cycling events are mostly either for sprinters or endurance specialists, but the omnium is the odd one out. Compare it to the decathlon in athletics: in the omnium the riders will compete in four different disciplines and their results are added up for a final overall classification.
Click here for the full preview, including a detailed guide to omnium.
AT FULL SPEED
Fans at Königsplatz will enjoy more fast-paced action on Monday as in sport climbing the focus turns on Europe’s best speed climbers. Who can make it up the 15m high wall in the quickest time possible? This question will be answered in both the men’s and women’s event.
Read the full preview here.