Alida van Daalen road to European U23 Athletics Championships success

Alida van Daalen Wins Gold in Two Events at U23 European Championships
Van Daalen secures first place in both the Women’s Shot Put and Discus Throw during weekend action.
By Arik Morton, Florida Track and Field

GAINESVILLE, Fl. – A month after competing in NCAA Outdoor Championships, Alida van Daalen captured first place in both Women’s Shot Put and Women’s Discus Throw at European U23 Athletics Championships in Espoo, Finland.

Van Daalen first competed on Thursday (13) in the Women’s Shot Put. Her final mark of 18.32m (60’1”) not only set her outdoor personal best and is the European U23 lead but also secured a margin of victory of over a meter.

• Read more: Alida Van Daalen wins Shot Put with European U23 leading mark of 18.32m

The Rotterdam, Netherlands native recorded an outstanding first season, with the Gators placing first in the shot put at the SEC Indoor Championships and SEC Outdoor Championships while placing fourth at NCAA Indoor Championships and NCAA Outdoor Championships.

Despite posting her outdoor personal best, van Daalen currently holds the all-time school record in indoor shot put with a mark of 18.66m (61’2.75” which stands as her absolute best.

She continued competition on Friday (14), now participating in the Discus Throw, an event in which she earned bronze in at the 2023 NCAA Outdoor Championships.

In the qualifying round, Van Daalen earned the top qualifier spot with a throw of 58.49m (191’11”).

All of Alida van Daalen’s throws in Sunday’s (16) final round reached a mark of over 55m, but it was her fifth attempt, reaching 56.77m (186’3”), that punched her ticket to the top spot on the podium.

Results from each of Alida van Daalen’s events can be found below.

Thursday, July 13^th:

Qualification & Finals – Women’s Shot Put

• Qualification
  • Attempt #1: 15.99m
• Finals:
  • Attempt #1: 16.73m
  • Attempt #2: 17.49m
  • Attempt #3: 18.10m
  • Attempt #4: 16.79m
  • Attempt #5: 18.10m
  • Attempt #6: 18.32m (PB)

Friday, July 14^th:

Qualification– Women’s Discus Throw

• Attempt #1: 48.24m
• Attempt #2: 58.49m

Sunday, July 16^th:

Finals – Women’s Discus Throw

• Attempt #1: 55.20m
• Attempt #2: 56.11m
• Attempt #3: 56.12m
• Attempt #4: 55.77m
• Attempt #5: 56.77m
• Attempt #6: misses