Did events in

Starting with the women’s events, we look at how our predictions fared compared to what actually happened at the European Indoor Championships.

We also ask whether Toruń has any relevance to what will happen at the Tokyo Olympics.

Including men and women’s events our predictions suggested we expected Poland (5 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze) to top the tables from Netherlands (4, 3, 0) and Britain (2, 2, 5).

The actual result was Netherlands (4, 1, 2) ahead of Portugal (3, 0, 0) and GB (2, 4, 6), Belgium (2, 2, 1) and France (2, 2, 0) with Poland only eighth (1, 5, 4) but having the second highest medal haul behind Britain.

In the overall placings, Britain were top with 112.5 points from Poland (90), Netherlands (75.5), Germany (68) and Spain (63).

60m

Once Ewa Swoboda pulled out, Ajla Del Ponte was an obvious winner and she produced one of the best performances and clearest wins of the championships as she moved to equal fifth of all-time among Europeans. Our other selections proved less successful with Lederer nowhere her German Championships from and Carolle Zahi not matching her semi-final winning form in the final.

Prediction: 1 Del Ponte (SUI) 7.09; 2 Lederer (GER); 3 Zahi (FRA)
Actual: 1 Del Ponte (SUI) 7.03; 2 Kemppinen (FIN) 7.22; 3 Samuel (NED) 7.22 (Zahi 6th 7.26 (7.21sf), Lederer 5th sf 7.29)

400m

The winner was totally predictable though Lieke Klaver did not run to form which allowed an inspired Jodie Williams to win a medal in her first 400m championships. The Briton indicated she might major at the 200m in Tokyo but she is bound to be a crucial cog in Britain’s 4x400m team at the very least.
With this speed Femke Bol (main image, above) should challenge the Americans out in Japan at 400m hurdles.

Prediction: 1 Bol (NED) 50.48; 2 Klaver (NED); 3 Święty-Ersetic (POL)
Actual: 1 Bol (NED) 50.63; 2 Święty-Ersetic (POL) 51.41; 3 JODIE WILLIAMS 51.73 (Klaver 5th 52.03)

800m

Thankfully we got this prediction wrong, including the time, as Keely Hodgkinson defeated our selection Joanna Jozwik by a clear metre. On this form the Briton could well make the Olympic final and she is likely to be even better come the summer! She ran the last 400m in 58.57 and 200m in 28.28.

Prediction: 1 Jóźwik (POL) 1:59.66; 2 Hynne (NOR); 3 KEELY HODGKINSON
Actual: 1 HODGKINSON 2:03.88; 2 Jóźwik (POL) 2:04.00; 3 Cichocka (POL) 2:04.15. (Hynne 4th heat 2:06.46)

1500m

Once our original selection Ciara Mageean of Ireland withdrew a few days before the event, we did select event leader Elise Vanderelst and she won surprisingly easily considering she only qualified as a fastest loser from the heats. In the final she ran a 2:05.75 last 700m and 59.03 last 400m.

Vanderelst could be a finalist in Tokyo. However runner-up Holly Archer, who ran a terrible tactical race in Poland, will have a harder job to even get to Tokyo with the likes of Laura Muir, Jemma Reekie and Sarah McDonald to overcome in the British trials.

Prediction: 1 Vanderelst (BEL) 4:09.65; 2 Guerrero (ESP); 3 Klein (GER)
Actual: 1 Vanderelst (BEL) 4:18.44; 2 HOLLY ARCHER 4:19.91; 3 Klein (GER) 4:20.07 – Guerrero 5th 4:20.45 (led after 28.77 penultimate 200m to bell)

3000m

This did not go the form book. Marusa Mišmaš-Zrimsek was rather harshly disqualified in her heat and Maureen Kosta tripped late in the final but looked like she may have been struggling anyway. Amy-Eloise Markovc was underrated and seen as a finalist rather than a winner but ran a brilliant race, although we did get Verity Ockenden’s third spot on!

Obviously the big hitters of European athletics – Hassan, Muir, Klosterhalfen and Can – were absent and while their absence gave an opportunity to others those who ran here will have their work cut out just to make the Olympics. The winner ran a 64.82 last 400m and should get the Tokyo qualifying time based on the strength of her Toruń run.

Prediction: 1 Mišmaš-Zrimsek (SLO) 8:53.30; 2 Koster (NED); 3 VERITY OCKENDEN
Actual: 1 AMY-ELOISE MARKOVC 8:46.43; 2 Finot (FRA) 8:46.54; 3 OCKENDEN 8:46.60 (Mismas-Zrimsek disqualified heat, Koster DNF final)

60m hurdles

Apart from a huge improvement from Cindy Sember, this went pretty much to the form book. On this form Nadine Visser (below, centre) should lead the non-American challenge in Tokyo and the two Britons will be looking at a place in the final at the very least.

Prediction: 1 Visser (NED) 7.82; 2 PORTER; 3 Neziri (FIN)
Actual: 1 Visser (NED) 7.77; 2 SEMBER 7.89; 3 PORTER 7.92;(Neziri 4th 7.93)

4x400m relay

It went pretty much to the form book though and we did say “much might depend on Justyna Święty-Ersetic on the final leg,” and the Pole did not compete after an individual second place though Britain were closer than expected and it might have been even better with a different order and a better last change-over.

All three medallists will be in the mix in Tokyo for the bronze medals behind USA and Jamaica.

Prediction: 1 Netherlands 3:27.65; 2 Poland; 3 GBR
Actual: 1 Netherlands 3:27.15; 2 GB 3:28.20; 3 Poland 3:28.94

High jump

Yaroslava Mahuchikh (below) won as expected and confirmed she will be at the very worst the joint favourite in Japan. Morgan Lake did not do as well as her 1.96m pre-championships form suggested and failed to make the final.

Prediction: 1 Mahuchikh (UKR) 2.04; 2 Levchenko (UKR); 3 LAKE
Actual: 1 Mahuchikh (UKR) 2.00; 2 Herashchenko (UKR) 1.98; 3 Junnila (FIN) 1.96 (4 Levchenko 1.94, Lake 13th qual 1.87)

Pole vault

This did not go to form with Holly Bradshaw suffering her first loss to Angelika Moser at the 21st meeting though our three predicted medallists did all medal. On this form the Europeans won’t be challenging for gold but could be in a battle for the minor medals.

Prediction: 1 HOLLY BRADSHAW 4.85; 2 Zhuk (BLR); 3 Sutej (SLO)
Actual: 1 Moser (SUI) 4.75; 2 Sutej (SLO) 4.70; 3 BRADSHAW/Zhuk (BLR) 4.65

Long jump

The best quality women’s event of the championships saw Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk win in a world-leading 6.92m and, while she was not selected for a medal by us, it was hardly a surprise and just reflects the quality of the field.

All the medallists (and indeed the top five) should be in medal contention for the Olympics.

Prediction: 1 Mihambo (GER) 6 87; 2 Iapichino (ITA); 3 Sagnia (SWE)
Actual: 1 Bekh-Romanchuk (UKR) 6.92; 2 Mihambo (GER) 6.88; 3 Sagnia (SWE) 6.75 (5 Iapichino 6.59)

Triple jump

With just a centimetre between the top three this was one of the closest contests in Poland but there were a few surprises. The leading Europeans will not win gold in in Tokyo judging by the distances achieved here but may pick up a bronze.

Bronze medallist Neele Eckhardt was one of the few athletes to medal who was not in the pre event top five or mentioned in our preview, but she hadn’t even jumped 14 metres prior to Toruń.

Prediction: 1 Papahrístou (GRE) 14.65; 2 Skvartsova (BLR); 3 Peleteiro (ESP)
Actual: 1 Mamona (POR) 14.53; 2 Peleteiro (ESP) 14.52; 3 Eckhardt (GER) 14.52 (4 Skvartsova 14.35, 5 Papahristou (GRE) 14.31)

Shot put

Auriol Dongmo won but not by the margin expected with Fanny Roos moving up a level to take the silver as all the medallists were chosen but not necessarily totally in the right order. All the medallists will be in medal contention in Tokyo on this form.

Prediction: 1 Dongmo (POR) 19.40; 2 Schwanitz (GER); 3 Roos (SWE)
Actual: 1 Dongmo (POR) 19.34; 2 3 Roos (SWE) 19.29; 3 Schwanitz (GER) 19.04

Pentathlon

Nafissatou Thiam won as expected but was in better form than her earlier results suggested. On this form she will be vying for gold with Katarina Johnson-Thompson in Tokyo if both are fit.

Prediction: 1 Thiam (BEL) 4715; 2 Dadic (AUT); 3 Vidts (BEL)
Actual: 1 Thiam (BEL) 4904; 2 Vidts (BEL) 4791; 3 Krizsan (HUN) 4644 (4 Dadic 4587)