The race was all about the three athletes closest to the sub-3:59 pace out there in the wider world: Germany and Magdeburg teammates Maya Werner and Isabel Gose, with Simona Quadarella, European 800 and 1500m champion once more in 2026.

The Italian is more vulnerable the shorter the distance gets, but is ever a danger at the end of races if you let her get too close and find she's got more in her tank than you gave her credit for.

The three rivals pulled away from the pack after 200m, Gose, champion back in 2022, the pace setter for most of the next 150m. It was at the last turn, however, that Quadarella stopped up from chance to a good bet.

The gap to Gose 0.33 at the last flip, the Italian sensed weakness as she drove off the wall. Within 15m, momentum was laying down a red carpet for her. Quadarella used it like a catwalk, catching eyes, and ooo's and ahhh's as it became obvious that she had the edge on all measures that win races.

The Roman followed the emperor's code - "I came, I saw, I conquered". The title was her's in 4:01.34, the golden treble in the vault, her time even a championship record, 0.19sec inside the standard held by former teammate and world-record holder in both the 200 and 400 free, Federica Pellegrini, for the past 18 years.

It was silver for Gose, in 4:02.41, bronze for Werner, in 4:03.73.

With 11 European solo crowns to her credit, Quadarella broke a tie on the count with Alex Popov (with relays, he has a record 21), a 10-title king of the 50 and 100m free back in the day. There are other ahead pin solos count: Sarah Sjöström (16, 18 with relays), of Sweden, and Hungarians Laszlo Cseh (14) and Katinka Hosszu (13).

Speaking through FIN, the Italian federation, Quadarella said:

“I didn’t really think I would win this race, but then in the end I thought ‘I’ll try. I didn’t expect it either. The thing that impresses me is the consistency, being able to stay there even with some difficulties like in the 1500. In the 400 I couldn’t express myself well, now I’ve found the right key to do it.

"It's a special gold, one of the most special. I’m very happy with how I conducted the race. The last 50 don’t get ready: give everything you have. I was a child in 2018. Now I have a different awareness. I hoped for it, but I didn’t expect it. I don’t know if I would have sprinted in the last 50 before.

"I want to thank my family and my coach Gianluca (Belfiore). Even after the 1500 gold, he was aware that I could give more and he was disappointed. We talked about it in a very mature and balanced way and I was very pleased.”

Th race lifted Italy up one slot on the all-time medals table above Hungary to fifth. At the top of the heap still, its the GDR and State Rseserach Plan 14:25, an ball and chain of shame round the neck of every passing generation of governors that does nothing to engage in a process of healing, recognition, reconciliation - and even remembrance of those who passed away without ever seeing fair play and justice get the upper hand.

The counts of the 1970s scream of abuse, acceptance of abuse, and malaise, current governors just as accountable as all who went before them.

Imagine the harm, to those poisoned - and those who paid a price in a count of consequences related to this: more than 90% of all medals and only a few points shy of 100% of all gold medals at nine championships between 1974 to 1989 went to one nation, which, as we have known (proven, fact) for at least 35 years, doped girls as young as 11 so that they could have an edge on all other female athletes because they'd been given a little of what boys get from nature at puberty.

The History File below ...