Swiss Athletics has named its second wave of athletes for the Berlin 2018 European Athletics Championships from 7-12 August, part of the inaugural multi-sport European Championships with co-hosts Glasgow.
After announcing teams for the men's and women's marathons earlier in the season, another 21 athletes have been confirmed for the track and field programme in Berlin. A final team will be announced after the qualifying window closes on 29 July.
The Swiss team will be strongly represented in the women's sprints in Berlin. World indoor 60m bronze medallist Mujinga Kambundji has been named for both the 100m and 200m while Salome Kora and Ajla Del Ponte (100m) and Sarah Atcho and Cornelia Halbheer (200m) have also been selected.
Lea Sprunger won a bronze medal in the 400m hurdles at the 2016 European Championships in Amsterdam and she will attempt a 400m/400m hurdles double in the German capital. She forms part of a strong triumvirate in the latter event along with European U20 champion Yasmin Giger and Robine Schurmann, who has improved from 57.51 to 55.53 this season.
Two-time European indoor champion Selina Buchel will contest the 800m, European U23 half marathon record-holder Julien Wanders has been named for both the 5000m and 10,000m while a new name on the Swiss senior team is 17-year-old Delia Sclabas.
Sclabas, who is eligible for U20 competitions until the end of 2019, has been one of the most prolific middle distance runners in age-group championships in recent seasons, winning a 1500/3000m double at the inaugural European Athletics U18 Championships in Tbilisi two years ago before winning the 3000m title the following year at the European Athletics U20 Championships in Grosseto. In Berlin, Sclabas will drop down a distance to contest the 1500m.
Switzerland won five medals at the 2016 European Championships in Amsterdam individual the individual and team titles in the men's half marathon courtesy of Tadesse Abraham.
More information on the 2018 European Championships:
- The Berlin 2018 European Athletics Championships will be part of the first multi-sport European Championships along with co-hosts Glasgow.
- It will be a must-watch, must-attend experience that elevates the status of European Champions, uniting existing European Championships to celebrate the highest honour in European sport and celebrating the defining moments that create Champions.
- It is the continent’s ultimate multi-sport event, an 11-day celebration of European sport staged every four years.
- Seven of Europe’s leading sports (athletics, aquatics, rowing, golf, cycling, gymnastics, triathlon) will be brought together for the first edition.
- The European Athletics Championships in Berlin will be staged 7-12 August. The six other sports will be staged in Glasgow through 2-12 August.
- 4500 athletes and 52 nations will compete across the seven sports.
- Potential TV audience of over one billion with millions more across multiple digital platforms.
- Over half a million spectators expected.