Huge anticipation is building ahead of the action in Rome on June 7-12

A number of head-to-head clashes are poised to unfold at the Stadio Olimpico in two weeks time as athletes will compete for European titles ahead of the Olympics this summer.

Many of the continents finest will compete over the six days in 24 different events, with a total of 147 medals up for grabs in the 47 finals of the competition.

With the championships fast approaching, we look at a number of athletes who could light up the event.

Italy is gearing up for an exciting showcase of their athletes at their major home event. In total, the host nation has won 44 gold medals in European Athletics Championships history and they had a very successful trip to the last championships in Munich 2022 where they came away with three gold medals and 11 medals in total.

Among the standout athletes is Olympic and European 100m champion Marcell Jacobs.

The Italian sprinter is aiming to shine in front of a home crowd again, following his performance at the Roma Sprint Festival last weekend where he clocked a time of 10.07 (1.1) to win the 100m.

However, he will face stiff competition from Zharnel Hughes, who narrowly missed out to Jacobs in Munich 2022 where the Italian matched the Britons championships record of 9.95. The reigning European 200m champion had to settle for silver.

Gianmarco Tamberi will be determined to retain his European high jump crown and record, having previously secured victories for Italy in Munich in 2022 and Amsterdam in 2016.

The Olympic, World, and European champion is also on a mission to make history by becoming the first high jumper to win back-to-back Olympic titles.

Great Britain and Northern Ireland will also be taking a strong team across to Italy. Keely Hodgkinson is set to make her mark in the highly competitive womens 800m.

The 22-year-old struck gold at the 2022 European Championships and has earned silver medals at the Olympics, World Championships and Commonwealth Games. Hodgkinson will now be focused on adding another European gold to her impressive collection.

Dina Asher-Smith, who came away with gold in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay at the 2018 European Championships, is expected to make an appearance over the shorter distance but has gone through a lot of change since her triple gold.

The 2019 world 200m champion parted ways with her long-time coach John Blackie last year and has since relocated to the US, training with coach Edrick Floreal.

In Munich 2022 the Briton finished second in the 200m to Switzerlands Mujinga Kambundji, after pulling up in the 100m with cramp a few days before.

Her progress this year has been impressive, breaking the British indoor 300m record in January and delivering a stellar 4x400m leg at the Texas relays in March. Most recently, she secured 200m victory at the Jamaica Athletics Invitational Meet last month.

Katarina Johnson-Thompson has achieved much in her career for Great Britain, including winning the second world title of her career in Budapest last summer after overcoming injury.

However, the British athlete has never claimed the European heptathlon title, having won silver to Belgiums Nafi Thiam in 2018. She will now be preparing for her first championship appearance this year with her eye on that gold.

Norways Jakob Ingebrigtsen is gearing up for a packed schedule in Rome, where he will attempt to secure victories in both the 1500m and 5000m events.

The European Championships have been particularly rewarding for the Norwegian star as he first accomplished the impressive double in Berlin at just 17 years old and repeated it in 2022.

Femke Bol is set to make her return to the European Championships, having left Munich with an impressive haul of four gold medals in the 400m, 400m hurdles, womens 4x400m relay, and mixed 4x400m relay for the Dutch.

This time, Bol will remain as a standout in the 400m hurdles, the event in which she is the world champion. Earlier this year, she broke her own 400m indoor world record to become the world indoor champion in Glasgow and fans can expect to see this speed on full display in Rome.

The European Championships are also particularly meaningful for Mondo Duplantis. Six years ago in Berlin, he achieved his first ever six metre clearance.

Now, as he prepares for Rome, the American-born Swede is already an Olympic champion and has twice broken his world record in 2024, with the current record set at 6.24m.

Rhasidat Adeleke will be aiming for her first major senior title in Rome, following an impressive start to the year. The two-time European U20 champion has had a stellar indoor season, breaking national records in the 60m, 200m, and 300m.

Outdoors, she set a new Irish record in the 100m (10.84) at the Texas Relays and played a key role in helping Ireland qualify for the Olympics in the womens and mixed 4x400m relays, with a record-breaking 48.45 split in the latter.

Lithuanias Mykolas Alekna, who secured world silver in 2022 and bronze last year, is expected to perform as he broke the long-standing world record with a 74.35m throw in April.

Meanwhile, Belgiums Alexander Doom will be looking to put on a performance, having unexpectedly taken gold at the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow where he defeated Norways Karsten Warholm in the 400m and helped his nation to gold in the mens 4x400m relay.

As the event draws near, one thing is certain: the track and field stars are set to deliver a thrilling championships, setting the stage for an exciting summer with plenty more athletes to look out for.

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