Ewa Swoboda defends European 100m silver in Birmingham after post-Olympic comeback

Silver after the darkness

Ewa Swoboda defended her European 100m silver medal at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham, finishing second in 11.02 seconds behind Britain's Amy Hunt, who clocked 11.00. The medal arrives after a post-Olympic period the sprinter described as the hardest of her senior career. After the Paris Olympics, where she missed the 100m final by 0.01 seconds, Swoboda fell into a psychological slump so deep that training became an unpleasant duty and thoughts of retirement surfaced.

“My psychologist pulled me out of very big psychological problems. I also realised myself that sport is what I love doing most in life. This fatigue, training, it is my whole life. I am very happy that the desire to train came back to me, because in the post-Olympic year it was terribly difficult. Even to pull yourself together and do a stupid training session. When things are bad in your head, you can't get past it.”

The final

Swoboda arrived in Birmingham as a clear medal contender, having broken 11 seconds twice during the summer season with times of 10.98 in Zagreb on 26 June and 10.99 in Warsaw. She won her semifinal comfortably in 11.04, appearing to ease off near the end while controlling the race. In the final, she started well and led for roughly 60 metres before Hunt, five years her junior and carried by home-crowd support, edged ahead in the closing metres. Belgium's Delphine Nkansa took bronze in 11.06.

Amy Hunt (GBR)11

Ewa Swoboda (POL)11.02

Delphine Nkansa (BEL)11.06

Amy Hunt (GBR)

11 s

Ewa Swoboda (POL)

11.02 s

Delphine Nkansa (BEL)

11.06 s

Data from the article text

Zagreb (26 Jun)10.98

Warsaw10.99

Białystok (MP)11.05

Birmingham SF11.04

Birmingham Final11.02

Zagreb (26 Jun)

10.98 s

Warsaw

10.99 s

Białystok (MP)

11.05 s

Birmingham SF

11.04 s

Birmingham Final

11.02 s

Data from the article text

What the medal means

After crossing the line, Swoboda looked at the stadium screen, confirmed her silver, and broke into tears of happiness. She had been reserved about her European Championship prospects in the weeks leading up to Birmingham, a shift for a sprinter usually talkative on camera. The 11.02 result repeats her achievement from two years ago in Rome.

“I came back to where I wanted to be. Let me enjoy this silver. Greetings to all those who doubted me and didn't believe in me. It's thanks to you that I am here again.”

She also indicated that the next European Championships, scheduled for Chorzów in two years, may be her last.

“These will probably be my last European Championships. I am very happy that they will be in Poland, in my Silesia. Everything that will happen there will carry me. Let's see what happens, but for now, I want to enjoy this medal from Birmingham.”

Other Polish results

The opening day in Birmingham brought mixed results for the Polish team. Shot putter Konrad Bukowiecki finished seventh, unable to find his rhythm in the circle; his season best of 21.34 metres would have earned silver. Italy's Fabbri won with 22.31 metres. The mixed 4x400m relay team of Maksymilian Szwed, Alicja Wrona-Kutrzeba, Remigiusz Zazula and Natalia Bukowiecka placed fourth in 3:12.07, well behind the winning Norwegian quartet that featured Karsten Warholm on the opening leg. Paweł Fajdek, returning to form after shoulder surgery in March, advanced to Tuesday's hammer throw final as the sole Polish qualifier from a group of four.