All for one, one for all.

At the end of the European Athletics Championships, a sense of community was once again required in the Munich Olympic Stadium.

The sprint relays for men and women were the crowning highlights of these title fights on the program - and what could go better with these atmospheric days in Munich than an interplay of different legs, hands and heads?

Achim Dreis

sports editor.

  • Follow I follow

Because from Monday evening athletes from all countries had praised the great audience, which above all, but not only, cheered on the German athletes to great performances and sometimes also inspired them.

And that's how it was on this seventh day of competition - and before the relay teams were allowed to start their final work, the filigree women on the high jump mat and the strong men in the javelin throw were challenged.

The Saulheim handball school produced a European champion from Munich for the second time these days.

Saulheim Handball School

Julian Weber, who once played handball with decathlon champion Niklas Kaul in the Rhenish-Hessian wine village south of Mainz, fired the 800-gram javelin at 87.66 meters in the fourth attempt - and what couldn't be beat that evening.

He had still felt shoulder pain when throwing in.

But when the Munich crowd cheered for him, the Olympic and World Cup fourth-placed was unstoppable.

"I can't believe it," the 27-year-old shouted into the stadium microphone and knew who he owed part of his success to: "Munich, you're so awesome. Thank you very much".

Silver went to Olympic silver medalist and World Championship bronze medalist Jakub Vadlejch from the Czech Republic, who jumped 87.28 meters.

The Finn Lassi Etelätalo won bronze with 86.44 meters. 

Marie-Laurence Jungfleisch, German hope in the high jump and third place at the European Championships in 2018, only managed 1.90 meters this time - the 31-year-old finished sixth.

As expected, the title went to the Ukrainian Yaroslava Mahuchich, even if she surprisingly only managed 1.95 meters.

And when "scandal in the restricted area" echoed through the stadium, Julian Weber could no longer be held back and danced with the German flag around his shoulders in the reporter's stand, his box seat for the relay events.

First it was the men's turn, but the German quartet mutated into a duo.

The first change from Kevin Kranz to Joshua Hartmann went wrong.

Owen Ansah and Lucas Ansah-Peprah didn't even have to start running.

Great Britain won ahead of France and Poland.

"It's a shame it didn't work out," Weber felt about the German boys.

The German women did better, much better: Alexandra Burkhardt, Lisa Mayer, Gina Lückenkemper, Rebekka Haase won the gold medal in 42.34 seconds ahead of Poland and Italy.

After seven victories by sprinter Gina Lückenkemper, decathlete Niklas Kaul and Co. as well as seven silver and two bronze medals, the German team finished the competitions on Sunday evening as number one in the medal table.

The rest was partying.