How Poland and France swept the Munich 2022 podium
Looking back on the European Championships Munich 2022, one thinks of some of the great sporting moments and who stood on the podium and won one of the 176 coveted gold medals. Some athletes won three golds, the youngest medallist was 16 and the oldest 59. And there were two podium sweeps.
A podium sweep is where a team or nation comes in first, second and third, thereby winning all medals. It’s rare, but both Poland and France can pat themselves on the back knowing they dominate Europe in one of Munich 2022’s nine Olympic sports.
All-Poland semis sets up sport climbing sweep
Poland swept the women’s sport climbing speed finals with world record holder Aleksandra Mirosław claiming gold, while Aleksandra Kałucka took silver and her twin Natalia Kałucka bronze.
The women's speed climbing final was quite the sight to see. Though, we already knew early on that all medals would go to one country. Because all four semifinalists in the women's speed climbing knock-out style final were from Poland! Heartbreakingly, the Kałucka twin sisters had to compete against one another in their semifinal.
Aleksandra won and just like that two Polish Aleksandras made the speed final. World record holder Aleksandra Mirosław secured gold, thus living up to her role as favourite while Aleksandra Kałucka claimed silver. Her twin Natalia Kałucka won the small final to clinch bronze.
French triathletes ‘bring out the brooms’
France claimed a 1-2-3 in the men’s triathlon at the multi-sport European Championships Munich 2022, with 2018 European Champion Pierre Le Corre claiming second behind Léo Bergere and ahead of Dorian Coninx.
In the men's triathlon, the uphill battle on Olympiaberg determined the leaders on the ascent in the second lap. Three Frenchmen and a Hungarian overtook the Portuguese João Pereira. Then, on the third lap, Frenchman Léo Bergere took the lead and consolidated his advantage over the climbs, followed by his compatriot Pierre Le Corre. A fierce battle for third place broke out among their pursuers, which Dorian Coninx decided in his favour. And before we knew it the incredibly exciting race ended with a rare podium sweep!
The gold medallist Bergere explained how much the success meant to him: “So glad to win this title. Finally, I have won a race. I am so used to second and third place. I wanted to take first today and also to share this with my teammates and friends. We really went for it on the bike.”
Le Corre knows what it’s like to win at the multi-sport European Championships, but the feeling at Olympiaberg and the podium sweep made it different altogether. “Four years ago (in Glasgow), I won and we know that was amazing with all the media and all the fans, and we wanted to be really good together. We knew that we are a strong team but being 1-2-3 – this is crazy.”
Coninx, too, couldn’t quite believe the feat they were able to accomplish: “This does not happen a lot in triathlon, especially in a race like this. It was incredible, the course was really nice. I am sure I will remember this race to the end of my life.”