Apeldoorn 2025, Observations on Day 3 of the European Athletics Indoor Championships

The third day of the European Athletics Indoor Championships (38th), was Saturday, March 8, 2025. The Omnisport Apeldoorn has been a great host. Here are some observations that I had on the competition, the fans and my feelings on the EICH 25, which I have loved.

1. I walked around the track, back and forth, for my walks each day, sometimes 20-40 minutes, giving me a good view of how the fans saw the meeting, how the athletes were situated and the media from all over the world! Snack booths had hot dogs, coffee, beer, wine, sparking water and flat and these great sandiwiches on 14 grain bread. Food is always better in Europe as half of the crap put into US food is not allowed here. My blood sugar, in the 114 range much of the time after a post meal high.
2. The Italians went one and three in the triple jump. Andy Diaz Hernandez won in 17.71 m jump, which the announcer raved about. Stuart Weir and I recall the days of 18 meters, and in fact two jumpers over 18 meters in one compeition. The Italians continue to impress, especially in the technical events, but hurdlers, distance runners and sprinters as well!
3. The women’s pole vault has come a long way! In 1992, I watched the AR set at Stanford University, in the Spring, which I believe was just over 3.80m. That year, we had put Carla Borovicka on cover, running another test event, the steeplechase for women. One fan wrote, “Larry, you put a women steepler on the cover of American Athletics? Dear god, what’s next, a women pole vaulter. Just saying, I love your magazine, I went back to my mother in laws house to get your magazine! ” The European women’s pole vault in Apeldoorn was won by Angelica Moser (4.80m), Switzerland, with Tina Sutej (4.75m), Slovenia and the University of Arkansas, who won her third silver EICH medal! In third was Marie Julie-Bonin, for France! Great drama in the women’s pole vault.
4. I believe that God is a track fan. And perhaps, Ukranian! The Ukraine has spent eleven years dealing with the brutish Russian military incursion by Mr. Putin, and now, the histrionics of Mr. Trump, as Ukranian athletes give the people of Ukraine something to smile about. During the writing of this piece, the US and Ukraine came to an agreement on a thirty day cease-fire, and the onus is on Russia, to see if they are serious about peace. The Ukraine’s Oleh Doroshchuk called on his inner strength and jumped a PB and world leader, in 2.34 meters, taking the gold! Jan Štefela of Czechia cleared 2.29m for silver! Matteo Sioli of Italy added to the Italian medal haul, with a bronze in 2.29m. Several top high jumpers were not here, but this was a solid compeititon and Mr. Doroshckuk earned his gold the old fashioned way: a best performance in a continental competition!
5. Larissa Iapichino is from long jump royalty. Her mum, Fiona May, won two Olympic silver medals and two World titles for Italy after leaving UK after poor treatment by the federation. Being the daughter of an Olympic medalist in athletis crazed Italy has to be pressure. And that is what Larissa told me after the finals. She noted ” I had to not sabotage myself, from the stress.”  Annik Kalin of Switzerland set a NR and lead of 6.90m in her first attempt. Larissa went 6.71m, foul, then, BOOM, 6.94m, her seasonal best, which held up to take the gold. Annik was rewarded with the silver. in third, and off her final jump of 6.88m, was Malaika Mihambo of Germany, who could not get her steps right and just did not seem on task today. Larissa won in 6.94m (her Mum, had won Valencia 1998 EICH in a jump of 6.91m for you geeks).
6. The heptathlon is a two day event. It is a huge event in Europe and fans filled the Omnisport for am and evening sessions just to see the multi event! Don’t believe me? Check out the photo of the mother of Johannes Erm, Estonia, who won the European outdoors decathlon in Roma 2024, and was 4th here! Sanders Skotheim of Norway, won in a new European record of 6,558 points. Simon Ehammer took silver in 6506 points. In third was Till Steinforth of Germany scored 6388 in bronze and Johannes Erm of Estonia was 8 points back in fourth! (FYI, Sanders Skotheim has been silver medalist in this event countless multis-3 decathlons at European champs and one heptathlon as European indoors, he was quite happy to get his first senior title!).
7. Hungary took gold! A little history. My grandfather, Adam Frederik Eder, born in 1892 in what is now Czechia, emigrated with his 3 sisters and parents in 1900. As a fifteen year old, I was transfixed with his stories about fighting in WW1, worrying about shooting his cousins, fighting for Austria-Hungary, and his uncle getting thrown into a Gulag after WW2 by the Soviets (he owned a boot factory in Budapest). My visit to Budapest in 2023 was comforting. The Hungarian words I heard gave me comfort, as my grandfather spoke a bit of Hungarian to me. When Attila Molnar won the Euro indoor 400m in 45.25, I was impressed by his holding off Poland’s Makzyamilon Szwed, in 45.25 NR/U23. Jimmy Soudril of France was third in 45.59 PB. This was a wonderful race, where the athletes gave it their all. When I saw Attila, so proud of his medal and his family, with tears coming down his cheeks, well, Hungarians are emotional, are we not?
8. Jeremiah Azu of Team GBR lived up to his stats and ran a Euro Champ record and WL of 6.49, going away. And this was days just after the birth of his son! Jeremiah was born in Rotterdam and his family was here to see him run! Later, Jeremiah noted that his brother was there and their eyes met, and Jeremiah smiled and noted he had just won gold. In silver, Henrik Larsson of Sweden, one of the most respected and veteran sprinters in the old continent, ran 6.52 in a Swedish NR!  In third, at the age of 34, for the first time in 11 years, Andrew Robertson of Team GBR won the bronze in 6.55, his first medal since the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014 (where I ate haggis for 18 straight days, another story).
9. The fans came for this one. The women’s 400 meters lived up to the hype. At the presser, Lieke Klaver told me that she loved rounds, ” I get stronger with more races.” This is a strange track, Huge turns and no straightaways, (look at my video). Essentially, most athletes can not take the lead on the back. In the 400m, Lieka Kliever battled the EL and WL, Henriette Jager for gold, with Klaver winning inn 50.38 to Jager’s 50.45. Paula Sevilla, ESP, was bronze in 50.99, equalling the NR!
10. On way home, late, we saw a KFC with lots of kids there. I tried the original and Kathy got chicken fingers. Normally, my blood sugar would hit 350 with that stuff, it hit only 155. Why? Non GMO chicken, no preservatives or chemical crap, and probably cleaner cooking oil. Not making it a habit, but my body does better under European Union food regulations, just saying.) Also, it was only place open at midnight!
11. The Omnisport seats about 4,000, my best estimates. Each session was sold out, but with the team and coaches seating half open, you could not tell the success on the crowd. Many were in standing room only seats. A responsive crowd, who cheered all, but loved their country-people.