Group photo, including Ruben Querinjean;
Credit: FLA
On Sunday 16 August 2026, the Luxembourg Athletics Federation (FLA) reported that Luxembourg athlete Ruben Querinjean claimed the silver medal in the men's 3,000m steeplechase at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, United Kingdom (UK) finishing in 8:25.61.
The race began at a relatively slow pace and remained tactical for much of the first two kilometres. Ruben Querinjean stayed around eighth and ninth positions, keeping pace with the field while conserving energy for the latter stages of the race.
With 600 metres remaining, Ruben Querinjean began moving up through the field and closed in on the leaders as the pace increased.
During the final two laps, Germany's Frederik Ruppert, one of the favourites and the European record holder, accelerated at the front. Ruben Querinjean kept pace with the leaders and secured second place in the final straight.
Frederik Ruppert won the race in 8:25.33, just 0.28 seconds ahead of Ruben Querinjean, while Germany's Karl Bebendorf finished third in 8:26.65.
The result earned Luxembourg its second medal in the history of the outdoor European Athletics Championships, twenty years after David Fiegen claimed silver in the men's 800m at the 2006 championships in Gothenburg, Sweden.
The result also marks another milestone for 24-year-old Ruben Querinjean following his title at the 2025 World University Games, his Diamond League victory at the Memorial Van Damme in Brussels, Belgium where he set a national record of 8:09.47, and his tenth-place finish at the World Championships in Tokyo, Japan.
