A fascinating clash between Serbia’s two-time European silver medallist Adriana Vilagoš and Greece’s 2022 European champion Elina Tzengko promises to be one of the highlights of the 2026 European Throwing Cup in Nicosia on 14–15 March.
A closely matched discus field headed by defending champion Vanessa Kamga of Sweden, a women’s hammer competition featuring European gold medallist Sara Fantini plus a quality women’s shot put all add up to an exciting two days of action in the Cypriot capital.
How to watch
The 2026 European Throwing Cup will be streamed live on European Athletics without any geoblocking restrictions.
Final entries
Timetable
Live results
Five to watch
Adriana Vilagos (SRB)
Elina Tzengko (GRE)
Jessica Inchude (POR)
Sara Fantini (ITA)
Melina Robert-Michon (FRA)
Inchude going for shot put triple
Portugal’s Jessica Inchude will be targeting her third victory at the European Throwing Cup, having won in Leiria in 2023 and again last year in Nicosia. The 29-year-old is a seasoned international competitor who also finished eighth at the Paris Olympics.
But she will face solid competition from Germany’s improving Katharina Maisch. The 28-year-old set a new personal best of 19.25m last summer and a similar distance would put her firmly in contention for gold.
Inchude’s teammate Eliana Bandeira is another athlete likely to challenge for the podium. She is no stranger to international success, winning bronze at the 2024 European Throwing Cup in Leiria and silver at the 2023 World University Games.
Kamga striving for discus defence
There is strong depth in the women’s discus throw, which should make for a fascinating contest.
Reigning champion Vanessa Kamga returns to Nicosia after her impressive victory last year, which helped launch a successful season that included finishing fourth at the World Athletics Championships with a national record of 66.61m.
Germany’s Marike Steinacker finished fourth at the Paris Olympics and took bronze in Nicosia last year, and she is again expected to contend. Last year’s silver medallist Liliana Cá is also an experienced European Throwing Cup competitor, having previously won the title in Split in 2021.
Her Portuguese teammate Irina Rodrigues took an emotional victory at the 2024 European Throwing Cup on home soil in Leiria, winning with a national record of 66.60m. She too cannot be ruled out.
Nor can France’s evergreen Melina Robert-Michon, a multiple winner at the European Throwing Cup. The 46-year-old Rio 2016 Olympic silver medallist has a long history with the event, having won bronze at the inaugural edition in Nice in 2001 before many of her senior teammates were even born.
Fantini heads deep field in hammer
As the Roma 2024 European Athletics Championships gold medallist, Sara Fantini arrives as one of the favourites to regain the title she also won in Leiria in 2023.
The Italian has already thrown 72.38m this season and looks in strong form as she chases her personal best of 75.77m, which has stood since 2022.
However, she will face a serious challenge from France’s Rose Loga, who claimed bronze at Roma 2024 at just 21 years old and has already thrown a lifetime best of 73.81m this year.
Denmark’s Katrine Koch Jacobsen won this event in Leiria in 2024 and, after finishing eighth at last year’s World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, also has strong credentials.
Nicola Tuthill made history as the first Irish gold medallist at the European Throwing Cup when she won the women’s U23 competition and will step into the senior ranks at this event for the first time.
Perhaps the most decorated athlete in the entire competition also appears in the women’s hammer.
Yipsi Moreno won Olympic gold at Beijing 2008 and three World Athletics Championships titles competing for Cuba. She returned to the sport representing Albania in 2025 and, at 45, remains competitive.
Tzengko and Vilagoš set to renew javelin rivalry
The careers of Greece’s Elina Tzengko and Serbia's Adriana Vilagoš have been intertwined since they won gold and silver respectively at the Munich 2022 European Athletics Championships, aged 19 and 18.
Both have since claimed gold at the European Athletics U23 Championships — Tzengko in Espoo in 2023 and Vilagoš in Bergen in 2025.
Vilagoš also won silver at the Roma 2024 European Athletics Championships, while Tzengko, despite some inconsistency in recent seasons, won four times on the Diamond League circuit last year.
Tzengko won this event in Leiria in 2023 with Vilagoš finishing third, but the Serbian claimed victory last year in Nicosia with a huge 66.88m throw.
Both will be looking to launch their seasons in style in the Cypriot capital this weekend. Norway’s Marie-Therese Obst, who won the event in Leiria in 2024 before going on to take bronze at the Roma 2024 European Athletics Championships, also returns in search of another medal.