On August 13, Lea Meyer saw her medal hopes disappear at the European Athletics Championships after a late fall in the women’s 3,000m steeplechase final. The German had been in the fight for a podium finish before the mistake at the final water jump left her fourth, behind Gesa Krause, Alice Finot and Olivia Gürth. Seeing Krause celebrate the European title, Meyer then caused a stir in her post-race interview, where the visibly frustrated German made some pointed comments about her rivals.

“How am I supposed to feel? Sh-t,” Meyer said before making her position clear. “I’ll be completely honest: I still maintain that I’m the best steeplechaser in Europe. I think I deserved the medal.”

Meyer admitted that the fall was her own mistake, but she was clearly unhappy with how the race had unfolded. When asked what happened, she explained that she had been expecting the late moves from the athletes around her and knew she needed to stay alert.

“I was waiting for it. At that moment, I thought, I have to be alert,” Meyer said, explaining that she knew one of her rivals was coming from behind. But in the crucial moment, she failed to clear the water jump and found herself on the track. “And before you know it, you’re lying there,” she said. “I thought I was going to fall. I didn’t quite make it. Just stupid.”

Meyer then appeared to turn her frustration toward Krause, who had stayed close behind before making her move in the closing stages. “Gesa won’t budge an inch. She’ll just sit it out,” Meyer complained, referring to the eventual European champion. She then also questioned Finot’s condition, saying the Frenchwoman was “not super fit.”

Despite her anger, Meyer acknowledged that the best competitors had won on the night. But she was not willing to let the fourth-place finish change her belief in her own potential. “Nevertheless, I say: I’ll be the German record holder by the time I get to LA,” Meyer said, turning her attention to the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. [translated via Google Translate]

The German pointed out that Krause and Finot are much older than her, suggesting that she has time on her side as she looks toward the next Olympic cycle. “I belong to the top of Europe,” Meyer added. “The medal would have been nice.”

She also acknowledged that Gürth was due a bronze medal before she concluded the interview and looked to the future.

The fall ruined what might have been a medal-worthy night for Meyer. But her fiery response said it all: she felt Birmingham was just a step backward and not a comment on where she sees herself within Europe’s top steeplechasers. But Meyer’s dramatic fallout was not the only controversy to unfold at the championships.

Audrey Werro’s 800m final hopes saved after dramatic semifinal fall

Swiss 800m ace Audrey Werro was also involved in a dramatic incident in a semifinal earlier the same day, which seemed to have spelled the end of her efforts to qualify for the gold. Werro was among the top contenders for gold, having clocked a 1:53.80 earlier this year, the third-best time of all time. She was expected to challenge Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson for the European title.

During the first 800m semifinal on August 13, Werro was caught up in contact with France’s Anaïs Bourgoin near the final bend. The collision sent Werro to the track, and she eventually crossed the finish line last, seemingly ending her hopes of reaching the final. However, the drama did not end there. After reviewing the incident, officials ruled that Werro had been impeded. Switzerland appealed the initial decision with video evidence, and the appeal was successful, allowing Werro to be reinstated for Friday’s final.

Lithuania’s Gabija Galvydytė, who was also affected by the incident, was reinstated as well. The unusual ruling meant the women’s 800m final would feature 10 runners instead of the usual eight, giving Werro an unexpected second chance at the European title.