Andorran Nahuel Carabaña Misses Steeplechase Final, Finishes 14th in Heat

Nahuel Carabaña, representing the Federació Andorrana d’Atletisme, missed the final of the 3,000 metres steeplechase at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, finishing 14th in his heat with a time of 8:57.80.

The Andorran, who entered ranked 11th without a season-best time, needed a top-eight finish to advance. A sole injury two months ago sidelined him for six weeks, restricting training to cycling and elliptical work, followed by additional niggles in recent weeks due to a rushed return. He started steadily in the middle of the pack, reaching eighth after the first kilometre and climbing to fifth by the 2,000-metre mark, with the leaders in sight.

Carabaña faded over the final stages, losing contact around 500 metres out and crossing antepenúltim, 45 seconds off his personal best of 8:12.80. Italy's Osama Zoghlami took the heat victory, 23.8 seconds ahead.

Visibly exhausted after the race, Carabaña expressed disappointment, saying he had high hopes despite knowing the risks from poor preparation. He added a positive note: having maintained a good attitude despite not being fully fit, he expects better performances in coming weeks, including the Mediterranean Games. He described the past two months as tough, with the initial foot injury and later issues hampering progress.

Josep Maria Missé, president of the Federació Andorrana d’Atletisme, urged moving forward, focusing on recovery and training for upcoming targets. The result ends Carabaña's championships short of medal hopes, limited by his disrupted preparation.