The men’s hammer featuring two medallists from the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris promises to be one of the highlights of the European Throwing Cup in Nicosia, Cyprus on 14-15 March.
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
Bence Halasz (HUN)
Mykhailo Kokhan (UKR)
Leonardo Fabbri (ITA)
Steven Richter (GER)
Artur Felfner (UKR)
Halasz v Kokhan in the men's hammer
The entry-list for the men’s hammer is highlighted by Hungary's Bence Halasz and Ukraine's Mykhailo Kokhan, the silver and bronze medallists from the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Halasz kick-started his 2025 season by taking his third victory at the European Throwing Cup and the 28-year-old has already broached the 80 metre-barrier this year, setting an early season world lead of 80.66m in cold conditions at his national winter throwing championships.
Kokhan is yet to compete so far this year but like Halasz, Kokhan has an excellent record in this competition. He has won the U23 division at the European Throwing Cup on three occasions, including in 2019 when he was a 17-year-old (and beating Halasz in the process) before graduating to the senior title in Leiria in 2024.
Kokhan will be approaching the 2026 season with added motivation after just missing out on a medal at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo despite setting a lifetime best of 82.02m. He also finished fourth in the same arena at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo before improving to bronze in Paris.
But the men's hammer promises to be far from a two-way battle. Other possible challengers include France’s Yann Chaussinand and Greece’s Hristos Frantzeskakis, both of whom have won titles at their respective national winter throwing championships in recent weeks, and Czechia’s Volodymyr Myslyvcuk who finished second last year with a PB of 77.98m.
Surprisingly, there hasn’t been a throw in excess of 80 metres at the European Throwing Cup since 2009 but given the calibre of the field assembled, it looks highly probable a throw in excess of the 80 metre-barrier will be required for victory in Nicosia.
Germany's world silver medallist Merlin Hummel also appears on the entry-list but does not intend to travel to Nicosia for the European Throwing Cup.
Fabbri to challenge championship record?
At the time of writing, Leonardo Fabbri is yet to fully confirm his participation in Nicosia but if he does, the reigning European champion will be poised to continue the run of recent Italian success in the men’s shot put at the European Throwing Cup.
His training partner Zane Weir won in 2022 and 2024 before Nick Ponzio followed suit in 2025.
Fabbri could also potentially challenge Weir’s championship record of 21.99m which dates back to 2022 and become the first thrower to break the 22 metre-barrier in the 25-year history of the European Throwing Cup.
Fabbri holds the world lead with 22.50m which was also set outdoors in Stellenbosch in South Africa during a warm-weather training camp.
Last year’s winner Nick Ponzio will be returning to Nicosia while another prominent name on the entry-list is Poland’s Konrad Bukowiecki, the 2017 European indoor champion. Also watch out for the in-form 20-year-old Georg Harpf who recently won the German indoor title with 20.46m, his first ever 20 metre-plus throw.
German favourites in the men's discus and javelin
In the men’s discus, last year’s U23 winner Steven Richter from Germany will be looking to convert that form to senior success. The 22-year-old has already recorded 64.25m this year and is second on the entry-list just behind Spain’s Diego Casas with 64.84m.
One of the most experienced throwers in the field is Romania’s Alin Alexandru Firfirica who will be targeting his second victory at the European Throwing Cup after taking a memorable victory in Leiria two years ago in torrential rain.
Richter’s teammate Nick Thumm is also looking to fast track from U23 success last year to a senior victory in the javelin this year. Thumm has already set a lifetime best of 82.03m this year.
The field also includes reigning European U23 champion Artur Felfner from Ukraine, who has ownership of a lifetime best with 84.32m, and Spanish brothers Manu and Odei Quijera, both of whom have also broken the 80 metre-barrier.