Alexander Doom crowned European 400m champion
With an impressive time of 44.15, the Belgian athlete won the gold medal and set a new European Athletics Championships record.
At Rome's Olympic Stadium, two Belgians lined up for the 400m final. While Jonathan Sacoor finished just off the podium in 4th place with a time of 44.98 – although satisfied with his new personal best, there was nevertheless a hint of regret at falling just 10/100ths short of the bronze medal – Alexander Doom clinched the victory.
Fourteen years after Kevin Borlée, the native of Roeselare (in the province of West Flanders) won a second European 400m title for Belgium. The gold medal won this year in Rome (following Nafi Thiam's gold and Noor Vidts' bronze in the heptathlon) is also the 15th title won by Belgian athletes in 26 editions of the continental championships.
At the age of 27, Alexander Doom's impressive time of 44.15 set a new Belgian record, beating Jonathan Borlée's record time of 44.43 set at the London 2012 Olympics. What's more, he has now become the new European Championship record holder, which had belonged to Britain's Iwan Thomas since 1998 with a time of 44.52.
Three months after winning the 400m World Indoor Championship title in Glasgow, Scotland, Alexander Doom achieved a new feat. In winning the race, he set the second-fastest time for a European, as only Britain's Matthew Hudson-Smith has run faster than him, with a time of 44.07.
Congratulations to this Belgian athlete, whom we can't wait to see in action at the next Olympic Games!