Nadine Visser Claims European 100m Hurdles Title by Millisecond

Nadine Visser has won the European 100m hurdles championship in Birmingham, clinching her first major outdoor medal in the event. The Dutch athlete's victory was decided by a photo finish, with Visser being a thousandth of a second faster than Poland's Pia Skrzyszowska.

What Happened

The final of the 100m hurdles at the European Championships in Birmingham was exceptionally close. Visser and Skrzyszowska crossed the finish line with identical times of 12.67 seconds. After a review of the photo finish, Visser was declared the winner, narrowly ahead of Skrzyszowska by one thousandth of a second.

Background

Visser has a strong record in indoor championships, holding European titles in the 60m hurdles from 2019 and 2021, and World Championship silver (2026) and bronze (2018) in the same event. However, a major outdoor medal had eluded her, partly due to injuries. She previously finished fifth in the Tokyo Olympics (2021) and fourth in the Paris Olympics (2024).

This season, Visser has been in excellent form, remaining undefeated against European competitors in ten 100m hurdles races. She qualified for the final in Birmingham as the second-fastest athlete from the semi-finals.

Key Facts

• Nadine Visser won the European 100m hurdles title in Birmingham.
• Her victory was determined by a photo finish, winning by one thousandth of a second.
• She finished with a time of 12.67 seconds, equal to second-place finisher Pia Skrzyszowska of Poland.
• This is Visser's first major international outdoor medal in the 100m hurdles.
• She previously won European indoor titles (60m hurdles) in 2019 and 2021.
• Visser placed fifth at the Tokyo Olympics (2021) and fourth at the Paris Olympics (2024) in the 100m hurdles.
• She had not been defeated by a European competitor in ten 100m hurdles races this season prior to the final.