Spanish race walkers strike gold in Birmingham as 1500m trio crashes out of European Championships

Spanish 1500m trio eliminated

All three Spanish representatives in the men's 1500m were eliminated in the semifinals on Friday August 14 at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, leaving the event without a Spanish finalist for the first time since Berlin 2018. The Spanish tradition in the distance includes champions such as Fermín Cacho (1994), Reyes Estévez (1998) and Casado (2010), plus medalists like Abascal, González and Higuero. In Birmingham, none of the trio could replicate that legacy.

Carlos Sáez suffered the most visible misfortune. In the first semifinal, Irish runner Cathal Doyle fell ahead of him, and Sáez hit the track around the 1000-metre mark while trying to avoid him. He finished penultimate in 3:55.49 with bruising to his right wrist and elbow. Sáez told Teledeporte the injury was likely a contusion because he could still move the arm, though he awaited medical assessment. The Spanish Athletics Federation filed a protest seeking reclassification, but it was rejected. The decision drew criticism because Swiss runner Audrey Werro had been reclassified for the 800m final the previous day after a similar fall.

I finished the race thinking they could reclassify me, because that's what they do, isn't it, with those who fall without being at fault

Self-critical analysis from Ben and García

In the second semifinal, Adrián Ben finished eighth in 3:42.52 and Mariano García was fourteenth in 3:44.09 (per RTVE; 20 minutos reported 3:44.99). Ben, a Tokyo Olympic finalist in the 800m who had moved up to the 1500m after withdrawals including Josh Kerr and Nigel Laros, said he waited too long to make his move. He was seen with blood on his legs in the mixed zone after a slow, tactical race he could not read. Ben noted the sixth place was within reach at 400 and 300 metres, but the leaders pulled away.

The main mistake was mine, for not having been brave and having run at the front the whole time

García, the 2026 world indoor champion at the distance who had looked in strong form, was equally blunt.

I ran like a rookie, basically

Race walk gold and a world record

The following day, Saturday August 15, Spanish race walkers restored pride. María Pérez, a double Olympic medalist and four-time world champion, won the women's half marathon race walk in 1:30:06, a new world record. She had walked much of the race alongside teammate Miguel Ángel López. It was her second continental gold, adding to the 20km title she won in Berlin in 2018. The women's podium was completed by Italian Alexandrina Mihai (1:31:04) and Ukrainian Lyudmila Olyanovska (1:31:07), with Frenchwoman Pauline Stey (1:31:12) and Italian Antonella Palmisano (1:32:10) rounding out the top five.

Paul McGrath took the men's title in 1:23:23, finishing 13 seconds ahead of Italian Francesco Fortunato (1:23:36) and 26 seconds ahead of Andrea Cosi (1:23:49).

Other Spanish results

The women's 4x400 relay team of Ana Prieto, Herminia Parra, Rocío Arroyo and Blanca Hervás qualified for the final with the fifth-best time. Yulenmis Aguilar reached the javelin final. In the heptathlon, María Vicente sat seventh after the first two events, the 100m hurdles and high jump. The men's 4x400 relay team did not advance.