Portuguese athlete João Coelho won the silver medal in the 400 meters at the 2023 European Games in Krakow this Friday, setting a national record in 45.05 seconds in a race integrated into the European Championships for the tryouts.
Coelho was second in Chorzów, behind only Norwegian Havard Ingvaldsen, who set a championship record with a score of 44.88, and ahead of Dutchman Limarvin Bonevaci, who placed third, with a score of 45.06.
The previous national record was held by Vitor Ricardo Santos, who ran 45.14 in Berlin in August 2018.
The result helps Portugal stay in the European Championship first division as three of the 16 elite teams are relegated after the competition, which ends on Sunday and is part of the Krakow 2023 programme.
It was the second medal in athletics in a few minutes for Portugal after the gold of Oriol Dongmo, bringing the total number of podiums to five: Ana Cruz’s bronze in karate was joined by two in canoeing (the gold of Messias Baptista and the bronze of Francisc Laja in the K1 200m ) and these two track and field podiums.
The European Games Krakow 2023 will be held until July 2 in Krakow and in the Polish region of Lesser Poland, in the program of 30 sports and 48 participating countries, including Portugal, whose delegation has more than two hundred athletes.
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
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