A Weekend of Olympic Trials and National Championships 

Zurich, Switzerland, July 1, 2024 - A weekend filled with National Championships and Olympic Trials ends with celebrations for On, with 17 athletes crowning themselves national champions and plenty more celebrations of podium finishes, new PBs, and tickets to Paris.

Nuguse, Wayment, and Whittaker are heading to Paris

At the much anticipated US Olympic Trials, it was all or nothing for eight On athletes. Sage Hurta-Klecker (800m, 1500m), Josette Andrews (5000m), Olivia Markezich (3000m SC), Dylan Jacobs (5000m), Yared Nuguse (1500m), Sam Ellis (800m), Hannah Steelman (5000m), Courtney Wayment (3000m SC) and Juliette Whittaker (800m) laced up their spikes in Eugene with their hopes of booking a ticket to Paris. For Nuguse, Wayment, and Whittaker, the Olympic dream continues as they successfully made their way through the heats and secured a top-three finish in their respective finals. 

Five German National Champions 

The National Championships took place in Braunschweig, Germany. Athletes had the opportunity to battle it out for the German national title and prove themselves one last time ahead of the Olympic Team selection, which will take place in the upcoming days. A total of six On athletes took part in the championships and secured five National Championship titles. 

Robert Farken competed in the 800m and 1500m races, claiming two national titles in just three hours. In the 800m, he secured the title by running a time of 1:48.90, a new season best for the On Athletics Club Europe member. Just three hours later, he laced up his shoes again for another national title, this time in the 1500m distance and in a time of 3:37.91. 

On athletes dominated the 3000m steeple chase finals, with Frederik Ruppert leading the way in the men’s final. With a time of 8:16.98, Ruppert crossed the finish line in a new meet record and 10 seconds ahead of second place finished Velten Schneider. In the women’s final, it came down to the last 150m between Gesa Krause and Olivia Gürth, with Gürth pulling away in the last 20 meters of the race to capture her first national title ahead of teammate Krause. 

In the 5000m men’s final, On athlete Florian Bremm captured the national title for the second year in a row, completing the 12.5 laps in 13:38.43. In the 100m sprint, Alexandra Burghardt claimed the silver medal in a time of 11.26, having to succumb only to Gina Lückenkemper, who secured her third consecutive national title.

Four National Champions in Switzerland 

In neighboring Switzerland, a similar feat unfolded with seven On athletes toeing the start lines and four national titles secured. In the women’s 800m final, Rachel Pellaud and Valentina Rosamilla crossed the finish line with just 0.09 seconds between them. Pellaud secured the national title in a new PB of 1:58.60, followed by Rosamilia in 1:58.69, also with a PB and with both dipping under the Olympic qualifier time and booking their tickets to Paris. 

Another double celebration for On took place in the men’s 5000m final. Joans Raess won the crown in 13:46.45, followed by teammate Morgan Le Guen in 13:50.86. Dominic Lobalu continued his successful season, celebrating his first national title in the 1500m distance just a few weeks after collecting his first international titles. In the women’s 1500m, Lilly Nägeli secured the bronze medal, completing the laps in a time of 4:21.72. With a new PB of 51:58, Giulia Senn crowned herself Swiss Champion in the 400m, finishing a second ahead of second place Lena Wernli. 

Three National Champions in France 

While all eyes are on Paris, the French athletes descended on Angers for the national championships. For On athletes, there were three national champions to be celebrated. Charlotte Pizzo kicked it off with a blazing win in the 800m final. Claiming the national title with a new PB of 1:59.93, dipping under the two-minute mark for the second time in her career just a week after doing so for the first time. In the men’s 800m final, On athlete Corentin Le Clezio took home third place in a time of 1:45.23.

Two more On athletes celebrated national titles in Angers. The first was Sarah Madeleine in the 5000m distance. The big favorite going into the race, Madeleine rose to the occasion and claimed her first French national championship title in a time of 15:44.88, over 10 seconds ahead of second-place finisher Aufe Clavier. In the 1500m race, Agathe Guillemot retained her national title, winning the race quickly in 4:07.00 and setting a new championship record. 

Two National Champions in Spain

As the saying goes, all good things come in threes; they certainly did in La Nucia, Spain, where the Spanish Athletics Championships took place. Marta Garcia won her third consecutive national title, crossing the finish line in 15:38.64. 

In the 800m, Mohamed Attaoui secured his first national title, winning the race in 1:45.03, while Mario Garcia Romo took home third in the 1500m final in a time of 3:36.31.

More to celebrate 

In Norway, steeple chaser Jacoub Boutera crowned himself national champion for the first time in a run he led from start to finish. Charles Grethen celebrated the national title in the 1500m distance in Luxembourg, while in Italy, the Netherlands, and Ireland, Sinta Vissa (04:05.29), Noah Baltus (3:36.99), and Luke McCann (3:44.54) all respectively ran to silver in their 1500m national championship finals. Over in Bydgoszcz, Poland, Alicja Konieczek beat her younger sister, Aneta Konieczek, to take home the national title in the 3000m steeple chase distance. 

In rainy Manchester, the UK Athletic Championships took place with three On athletes at the start lines. In the women’s 5000m, Verity Ockenden narrowly missed out on the national title, crossing the finish line just 0.08 seconds after the new British Champ, Hannah Nuttall. George Mills also claimed silver in his 1500m race, with a time of 3:38.29. In the women’s 1500m final Revee Walcott-Nolan came away with the bronze medal, completing the three and three-quarter laps in 4:11.70.

At the Canadian Trials, Benjamin Flanagan came third in the 5000m race in a time of 13:29.42. Kieran Lumb crowned himself champion in the 1500m race, crossing the finish line in 3:45.10.

RESULTS 

US Olympic Trials

German National Championships

French National Championships

National Outdoor Championships Switzerland

Spanish National Championships

British Athletic Championships 

National Championships Norway:

National Championships Italy

National Championships Netherlands

National Championships Ireland

National Championships Poland

National Championships Luxembourg

Canada Olympic Trials

About On

On was born in the Swiss Alps in 2010 with the mission to ignite the human spirit through movement – a mission that still guides the brand today. Fourteen years after market launch, On delivers industry-disrupting innovation in premium footwear, apparel and accessories for high-performance running, outdoor, training, all-day activities and tennis. On’s award-winning CloudTec® innovation, purposeful design and groundbreaking strides within the circular economy have attracted a fast-growing global fan base – inspiring humans to explore, discover and Dream On.

On is present in more than 60 countries globally and engages with a digital community on www.on.com.