Today marked an exciting finish to the European Athletics Team Championships, with many of the usual suspects finishing near the top of the standings. Italy defended its title in the First Division, thanks to contributing athletes such as Nadia Battocletti, Edoardo Scotti, Leonardo Fabbri, and Larissa Iapichino, who each won their events. Poland and Germany finished second and third, respectively.
Lithuania, Finland, and Ukraine will be the three teams relegated to the Second Division, while Belgium, Norway, and Turkey will move up to the First Division at the next edition in 2027.
Estonia, Bulgaria, and Latvia will move down to the Third Division, while Iceland, Luxembourg, and Bosnia-Herzegovina will get a chance to move up to the Second Division.
If you aren’t from Europe, you might not be familiar with the Team Challenge meeting, but these competitions and their predecessor, the European Cup, have been staples in the European athletics calendar for 60 years.
Here’s a look at the full team results from this year’s edition and a rundown of the events’ history.
2025 European Athletics Team Championship Winners
Italy once again took home gold in the First Division, defending their 2023 title, but the victory didn’t come easily. Going into the final day, they had a narrow lead over Germany and Poland. Strong performances from Lonardo Fabbri (shot put), Larissa Iapichino (long jump), and others would seal victory.
It was Belgium that would walk away victorious in the second division. Ruben Verheyden (1,500-meter), Isaac Kimeli (5,000-meter), Delphine Nkansa (100-meter), Naomu Van Den Broeck (400-meter hurdles), Ben Broeders (pole vault), Imke Vervaet (200-meter), Merel Maes (high jump) would all win their respective events.
Iceland took home gold in the Third Division, with winning performances from Ivar Kristinn Jasonarson (400-meter hurdles), Hilmar Örn Jónsson (hammer throw), Karen Sif Ársælsdóttir (pole vault), Arndis Diljá Óskarsdóttir (javelin), Eir Hlesdottir (200-meter), and Erna Sóley Gunnarsdóttir (shot put).
What are the European Athletics Team Championships?
The European Athletics Team Championships are a biennial competition where European countries compete in three divisions. The First Division is the highest level, and the Third Division is the lowest. The top three countries in each division have the opportunity to move up, while the bottom three move down at the next Championships.
This year, the First Division Championships took place in Madrid from June 27–29. The Second and Third Division took place in Maribor from June 24–29.
Athletes receive points for their country, and the country with the most points at the end of the competition wins. The number of points depends on the number of teams in the competition. In the top two divisions, a first-place finish was worth 16 points because there were 16 teams in each division. A second-place finish was awarded one less point, and so on until one point is given for a last-place finish. In the Third Division, there were 15 nations competing this year.
European Cup and Format Changes
In the 1960s, the president of the European Committee of the International Association of Athletics Federations, Bruno Zauli, came up with the idea for the European Cup, where European countries would face off and receive team points. The European Cup had its inaugural season in 1965 and then continued every two years (for the most part) until the year 1993. From this point on, the European Cup would be held annually until 2008.
From 2009 onwards, the European Cup would be replaced by the European Team Championships. Originally, countries were divided into four leagues of increasing strength. But in 2023, it was restructured to a three-division format.
Which Countries Have Been Most Successful?
The format of the European Team Challenge/European Cup has changed over the years, but since the inauguration of the European Team Challenge, Germany has the greatest number of gold medals (64) and total medals (180). Great Britain, Russia, and France have the next three most gold medals.
Italy has won the last two editions of the First Division Championships.
In the European Cup that ran from 1965–2008, Russia led the way with the most gold medals. Great Britain and Germany have the next two most.
The same three countries finished top three in the medal count but with Germany leading the way ahead of Great Britain and then Russia. These totals don’t include medals won by the Soviet Union and East Germany.
When’s the Next Edition?
The Next Edition of the European Team Challenge will be in June 2027, but the host countries haven’t yet been named.