A Legend Falls in Prague

The clock stopped. The crowd held its breath. For forty-five years, Jarmila Kratochvílová’s name sat atop the Czech 100m record books like a stone monument. No one touched it. No one came close. Until today. At the Liese Prokop Memorial in Prague, the under-23 European champion Karolína Manasova didn’t just chip away at history—she demolished it. In the heats, she ran 11.08. In the final, under perfect sprint conditions, she exploded off the blocks and crossed the line in 11.01 seconds. She became the first Czech woman in history to break the 11-second barrier. A new era has begun.

German and Austrian Records Tumble

But the drama didn’t end with Manasova. Right on her heels came Germany’s Rebecca Haase, the triple under-23 European champion and relay medalist. Haase clocked 11.04, securing second place and proving she is a force to be reckoned with. Behind her, Austria’s Isabel Pos delivered a masterclass. The heptathlete, who represented Austria at the 2024 European Athletics Championships, shattered the long-standing national record of Karin Mai-Krifka. Pos ran 11.10, obliterating the 11.15 mark that had stood since 2003. One event, two national records broken, and a future superstar unveiled.

Men’s Races and Host Nation Glory

The men’s 100m delivered its own fireworks. Felix Mai-Krifka, son of the former Austrian record holder, stormed to victory in the B-final with a U20 national record of 10.47. In the A-final, Britain’s Elliot Jones claimed the title with a season-best 10.09, edging out Austrian record holder Markus Fuchs who finished in 10.32. In the 400m hurdles, Portugal’s Sofia Lavrenchina made a massive leap, dropping over two seconds from her personal best to run 54.48, just 0.03s off the national record. Slovenia’s Nika Glojnaric also shone, winning the 100m hurdles with a personal best of 12.76. The host nation, Austria, celebrated heavily. European silver medallist Lukas Weißhaidinger won the discus with a throw of 63.68m. U23 European champion Enzo Diessl dominated the 110m hurdles in 13.40, and Caroline Bredlinger took the 800m in 2:01.41. A night for the record books.