After the European Championship 800 m semifinal Speaking to journalists, runner Gabija Galvydytė did not yet know whether she would compete in the final – at that time, the Lithuanian delegation’s appeal regarding the fall in the run and the result affected by it was being considered. The protest was accepted, Gabija reached the final, proving her worth there – she sprinted at the finish so fast that her competitors fell behind one after another, and the Lithuanian record holder achieved an impressive fourth place.
G. Galvydytė’s result was 1 minute 59.12 seconds. She was second only to the top three decorated European runners – Swiss Audrey Werro won gold, British Keely Hodginson took silver, and Dutch Femke Broeders–Bol took bronze. After the finish, when asked if she understood which names were on her list, Gabija simply beamed.
“I qualified for the final as number 10, took 4th place, proved that my place was in the final, that I could be here. I want to tell my haters – I am fourth in Europe! Honestly, it’s unreal… I can’t believe it. Before the final, the coach encouraged me, saying that I have a very good finish, I have to trust him, and if I am close to my competitors and finish well, I can definitely go very high. The coach really believed in me more than I believed in myself,” said G. Galvydytė.
The athlete training across the Atlantic will have no time to celebrate – just a few hours later, the 1500 m qualifying round awaits. “Right now, the most important thing is to calm down, lie down…” I’ll tell everyone writing right away – I won’t reply today. “Sorry,” the runner laughed. – I definitely see your messages and reply, but it’s hard when I receive so many of them. I want to respond to everyone, talk, and say thank you, but it drains the emotions. I will save everything for tomorrow and hope that after 1500 m I will be able to contact everyone.”
If the runner were to reach the final of this event, she would start five times in total during the seven-day European Championships.
Photo by Alfredas Pliadis
