Tina Šutej claims bronze medal in European Championships

MUNICH, Germany – Despite cutting her right hand on a shoe spike during warm-up for the pole vault final at the European Championships, Arkansas alum Tina Šutej cleared an outdoor season best height of 15-7 (4.75) to earn the bronze medal at Olympiastadion on Wednesday evening.

Šutej, competing at age 33, became the oldest medalist in the women’s pole vault in the history of the European Championships. The previous holder of that distinction was Nikoleta Kyriakopoulou of Greece, who was 32 years old when she medaled in 2018.

Entering the meet with an outdoor best of 15-6 (4.72) this season and an indoor best of 15-9 (4.80), Šutej attempted 15-9 during the competition but missed three attempts at the bar.

Finland’s Wilma Murto won the competition as she equaled the championship meet record of 15-11 (4.85) set by Katerini Stefanidi of Greece in 2018.

Stefanidi, who cleared 15-7, claimed her second silver medal at the European Championships to bookend the pair of titles she captured in 2016 and 2018. Her previous silver medal came in 2014.

“It was a little bit crazy,” noted Šutej, who previously won a bronze medal at the 2022 World Indoor Championships this season. “On my first warm-up jump I spiked my hand, so I basically jumped with an open hand. Now I’m going to the hospital to get stitches.

“After the cut I just tried to concentrate on some good jumps, and I managed to do it. I wanted the gold, but I’m really happy with the performance with all that happened in the warm-up.”

All three medalists bettered the previous best height ever achieved in Munich, which was 15-3 (4.65) from Poland’s Monika Pyrek in 2007.

Šutej also produced the best-mark-for-place as her 15-7 equaled the previous best set by Holly Bradshaw of Great Britain, a bronze medalist in 2018. Šutej also collected the first medal in the event for Slovenia at the outdoor European Championships, after earning silver at the 2021 European Indoors.

The opening height for the final was set at 13-11.25 (4.25), and Šutej entered at the following height of 14-5.25 (4.40). She managed to clear that bar and the next two – 14-11 (4.55) and 15-3 (4.65) – on first attempts, which put her in a first-place tie at that stage with Stefanidi.

When Šutej needed a second attempt at 15-5 (4.70), and Stefanidi recorded the fourth of her five first-attempt clearances, the current positions had Stafanidi in gold and Šutej in silver.

“The wrap to cover the cut was really good, but not 100 percent,” stated Šutej. “My last jump was really good. I was on my stiff pole. I’m just a little sad I didn’t use it before, because it was a good jump, and I just didn’t connect with it.

“Maybe in the next competition I will believe more. Today I was just a little bit in shock from the cut on my hand and I didn’t want to push the poles. I’ll get stitches now and try to get ready for the Diamond League final.”

Murto was in bronze medal position due to needing two attempts at 14-11 and 15-3. When she missed at 15-5, Murto passed to the next height.

Then she produced a pair of first attempt makes at 15-7 and 15-9 to improve her previous national record of 15-5.75 (4.72). Those performances enabled her to claim the gold medal position.

Meanwhile, Stefanidi missed an attempt at 15-9 and passed to 15-11 (4.85). Two misses at that bar left her holding silver.

After clearing 15-11, Murto retired from the competition with the victory, a first for Finland in this event at the European Championships. Murto was a bronze medalist at the 2017 European U20 Championships.

Denmark’s Bonde Caroline and Angelica Moser of Switzerland led the rest of the 12-person field in tying for fourth place at 14-11. The effort by Caroline set a Danish national record.