Vera Bertemes-Hoffmann Finishes 22nd in European Championships Final

On Tuesday 11 August 2026, Luxembourg athlete Vera Bertemes-Hoffmann contested her first final at the 2026 European Athletics Championships at Alexander Stadium in Birmingham, United Kingdom.

According to the Luxembourg Athletics Federation (FLA), the women's 5,000m final developed into an unpredictable race, with the field alternating between sharp surges and slower sections before Italy's Nadia Battocletti launched a decisive attack to secure the European title in 15:37.84. In these circumstances, Vera Bertemes-Hoffmann was unable to perform at her best and eventually lost contact with the leading group. She finished 22nd in 16:38.90.

"I sometimes experience cardiac arrhythmias during training. It is something I know about and that is being monitored. Tonight it happened during the race and there was nothing I could do. Whether in the pack or during the acceleration, I had no possibility to react. I still decided to finish the race to honour my selection, but nothing went right tonight,"  said Vera Bertemes-Hoffmann.

Her main event, the women's 1,500m, is still to come, with the heats scheduled for Saturday 15 August 2026.

No Luxembourg athletes are due to compete on Wednesday 12 August 2026. The next Luxembourg athlete in action will be Ruben Querinjean, who is scheduled to contest the men's 3,000m steeplechase heats on Thursday 13 August 2026.