French racewalker Aurélien Quinion won the bronze medal in the marathon walk at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham after nearly three hours of effort.
Quinion finished third, two minutes and 40 seconds behind race winner Massimo Stano of Italy. Haggard, disoriented and staring into space, Quinion mechanically stopped his watch timer upon crossing the line without realizing he had won a medal.
The 33-year-old athlete from Paris told L'Équipe that he did not understand what was happening when he crossed the line. He explained that racewalking requires long-term effort and that the marathon distance made the competition particularly hard. Quinion added that he had been that tired before and felt millions of people could relate to pushing to the absolute limit.
Quinion described the Birmingham course as extremely demanding. He noted that athletes could not relax on downhill sections and that uphill stretches were physically tough on the legs. He described earning his first continental medal as feeling like a slap in the face.
Career Milestones and Past Results
The bronze medal is the first continental podium finish for Quinion. He is a double French national champion, having won titles in the 5,000-meter indoor walk in 2021 and the 20-kilometer walk in 2023.
Quinion finished ninth in the 20-kilometer walk at the Paris Olympic Games. At the 2025 World Athletics Championships, he placed fourth in the 20-kilometer walk and fifth in the 35-kilometer walk.
Other Events at European Championships
The European Athletics Championships in Birmingham also saw several disruptions across other events. The French team suffered a disqualification in the men's 4x400-meter relay after a runner stepped on the line during the race.
In the pole vault competition, judges set the bar at the wrong height and incorrectly adjusted the stopper, creating confusion during an attempt involving a French athlete.
A separate race start was delayed following a drone accident caused by a television production failure. In another incident, a star athlete from the 2022 Beijing Olympics who tested positive for doping at age 15 and supports Vladimir Putin was cleared to compete as a neutral athlete.
