Silja Kosonen wins European hammer throw gold

Finnish hammer thrower Silja Kosonen won the European Championship gold medal in Birmingham. The 23-year-old secured the title with a winning throw of 76.28 meters, surpassing the defending champion from Italy, Sara Fantin.

This victory marks Kosonen's first major senior championship medal. Her coach, Jani Pihkanen, who has worked with her for nearly a decade, noted that the win was the culmination of intense training focused on strength, body control, and speed. The duo had specifically targeted a peak performance for this championship after Kosonen narrowly missed a medal at the previous World Championships.