On athletes shine bright at 2022 major athletics championships
After claiming its first-ever Diamond League victory earlier this summer, On’s engagement in elite athletics has continued to bear fruit at the major championships of 2022.
22 August 2022
Zurich, Switzerland, 26 August 2022 — After claiming its first-ever Diamond League victory earlier this summer, On’s engagement in elite athletics has continued to bear fruit at the major championships of 2022. In total, On athletes won seven medals and set numerous personal bests.
World Athletics Championships Oregon 2022
Renowned middle distance runner Hellen Obiri (KEN) gave On its first ever major championship medal: in a heavily contested race, the 32-year-old finished a close second, clocking in a personal best of 30 minutes and 10 seconds in the 10.000m race.
Another personal best was set by the newest On Athletic Club recruit, Mario Garcia-Romo. The Spanish national champion finished fourth in the 1.500 m event, running 3:30.20 and beating his old personal best by 5 seconds.
Total number of On athletes on start: 27
Top Results:
Hellen Obiri, KEN, 2nd 10,000m
Alexandra Burghardt, GER, 3rd, 4x100m
Mario Garcia-Romo, ESP, 4th, 1,500m
Joe Klecker (USA), 9th, 10,000 m
Commonwealth Games Birmingham 2022
The next personal best and medal came from OAC’s Oliver Hoare just two weeks later. After disappointing World Championships, the Australian came to the Birmingham Commonwealth Games with a point to prove. In the last few strides of the 1500m final, he edged ahead of a truly world-class field to take an emotional win. He crossed the line in a personal best of 3:30.12 breaking the 48-year old games record.
Total number of On athletes on start: 3
Top Results:
Oliver Hoare, AUS, 1st, 1,500m
Amy-Eloise Markovc, ENG, 4th, 5,000m
George Beamish, NZL, 6th 5,000m
European Championships Munich 2022
The European Championships in Munich proved a fertile ground for more achievements in On shoes. The first-ever European Championship medal was provided by Mario Garcia-Romo, who climbed onto the podium as third in the 1,500m race. A time of 3:34.88 brought the Spaniard the his first-ever senior medal.
In the 3.000m steeplechase, Italian runner Ahmed Abdelwahed pushed the boundaries even more and also claimed his first-ever medal. Ahmed ran an incredibly fast last lap to finish second in a time of 8:22.35.
On the last day of the championships, On athletes brought the event to a shining finish. Norwegian Zerei Mezngi Kbrom pulled a stunner by finishing second in 27:46.94 minutes in the 10,000m race. Zerei surprised the pre-ace favorites by aggressively taking the lead with one kilometer to go and only relinquished the lead with a few meters to go to claim silver.
In the last event of the championships, the 4x100 m relay, Alexandra Burghardt became the first European champion in On Cloudspikes. Alexandra ran an incredible opening leg to bring her German teammates on their way to win the title in front of a frenetic home crowd.
Total number of On athletes on start: 19
Top Results:
Alexandra Burghardt (GER), 1st 4x100 relay
Ahmed Abdelwahed (ITA), 2nd 3,000m steeplechase
Zerei Mezngi Kbrom (NOR), 2nd 10,000m
Mario Garcia Romo (ESP), 3rd 1,500m
Alicja Konieczek (POL), 4th place 3,000m steeplechase
Amy-Eloise Markovc (GBR), 5th place 5,000m
Nicolas Navarro (FRA), 5th place Marathon
“Looking back at the last 6 months, we can be very proud of what we achieved: our first Diamond League win (Dominic Lobalu, 3000m Stockholm), the first medal at a World Championship in Eugene (Hellen Obiri, 10000m, silver) and our first Gold Medal at the Commonwealth Games (Ollie Hoare, 1500m). Following up these successes with four Medals at the European Championships is strong proof that we are on the right track”, says Flavio Calligaris, Head of Athlete Strategy & Partnership Performance Running at On.
“What is important to notice is that all of our athletes competed in our products. Supporting winning athletes with winning elite level products has become a reality for On. Big kudos to the entire Lightning teams here and in Vietnam who go the extra mile and find solutions. We are proud but not yet satisfied. Budapest 2023 on our doorsteps already and Paris 2024 is less than two years out. We will keep pushing!”
About On
On was born in the Swiss Alps with one goal: to revolutionize the sensation of running by empowering all to run on clouds. Twelve years after market launch, On delivers industry-disrupting innovation in premium footwear, apparel, and accessories for high-performance running, outdoor, and all-day activities. Fueled by customer recommendation, On’s award-winning CloudTec® innovation, purposeful design, and groundbreaking strides in sportswear’s 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-running.com.