Lewandowski celebrates his bronze at the 2019 Doha World Cup. /
The Pole, with four European titles to his credit, will be in the Biscayan capital in his series of farewell races to athletics
The Bilbao Mile that takes place this Saturday on the Gran Vía comes as a surprise. One of the best European middle-distance runners of all time has chosen the Biscayan capital to compete before his final retirement. This is Marcin Lewandowski, the 35-year-old Polish athlete who has 10 medals and 4 titles in world and European outdoor and indoor championships, always in 800 and 1500 meter events.
Lewandowski announced last May his retirement from high competition athletics in a surprising way, before a season that presented the attractions of a World Cup and a European almost consecutively. But in his statement, the experienced middle-distance runner argued that he had not been able to prepare for the summer campaign due to an accident suffered by his daughter. However, the Pole has continued training this summer -in Portugal- to compete in certain events before officially leaving the competition before becoming a father again in November.
And one of the events he has chosen is the Bilbao Mile, which will thus feature one of the most competitive athletes in European and world finals. Bronze medalist at the 2019 Doha World Championship, he was the European Outdoor Champion in Barcelona 2010 and triple gold at the continental indoor events of 2015, 17 and 19. His last podium was at the Torun European Indoor Championships. 2021, when he was second.
A reference
Without a doubt, its presence in the streets of Bilbao enhances an event that already has a high level of participation, not in vain, it was considered in 2021 the best mile in Spain by the Spanish Athletics Federation. In the next few days the rivals of the Polish athlete will be revealed, but due to his track record Lewandowski becomes the main reference of the event and an opportunity for fans to say goodbye to one of the most successful athletes in the European middle ground.
In the female category, the organization has announced the presence of the 17-year-old German Jolanda Kallabis, without a doubt one of the great attractions of the Bilbao athletic meeting, not in vain is she the number 1 in the world of 800 meters in her age and he has recently set the 2000m world record. she hurdles with 6: 07.72, a specialty in which she is European champion beating in the sub-20 category.
