The Match Europe v USA
# The Match Europe v USA

The Match Europe v USA was an international two-day outdoor track and field competition between the United States and Europe. It took place 9–10 September 2019 in Minsk, Belarus, three weeks prior to the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha, Qatar, a few days after the conclusion of the 2019 Diamond League and three months after the 2019 European Games.

Team Europe won the Match, defeating Team USA by 724½ to 601½.

## Creation of the Match

The match was agreed between European Athletics and USA Track & Field in December 2018 and marked the first international match between the two since the 1960s. The competition followed the successful creation of the Athletics World Cup in 2018, which included the United States and several European nations. Athletes from the United States and Europe also compete in the quadrennial IAAF Continental Cup, though American athletes are part of a combined Americas team rather than a national one. Minsk also played host to the 2019 European Games that year, the athletics portion of which was a national team matchplay competition held in the new DNA Athletics format..

## The program

### Events

The event programme consisted of 37 events, and includes six individual track running events, three obstacle events, four jumping events, four throwing events, and a sprint relay event for each sex. There is also a 1600 metres mixed-sex sprint medley relay with four athletes running 200, 200, 400 and 800 metres, similar to a mixed 4 × 400 metres relay which will be introduced at the 2020 Summer Olympics.

   #### Running
* 100 metres, 200 metres, 400 metres, 800 metres, 1500 metres, 3000 metres

   #### Obstacle events
* 100 metres hurdles (women only), 110 metres hurdles (men only), 400 metres hurdles, 3000 metres steeplechase

   #### Relay events
* 4 × 100 metres relay, 1600 metres sprint medley relay (mixed)

   #### Jumping events
* Pole vault, high jump, long jump, triple jump

   #### Throwing events
* Shot put, discus throw, javelin throw, hammer throw

Special match rules applied to the field events. For the six Horizontal field events (all four throwing events, the long and triple jumps), there were three initial attempts in each event. Following this, the top six athletes from these trials advanced to the final three rounds. At each subsequent round, the lowest placing athlete, based on all attempts thus far in the competition, was eliminated. In the vertical jumps (high jump and pole vault) each competitor was limited to three attempts at any specific height and eight attempts in total.

### Scoring

Each team was allowed to field 4 athletes in each individual event, and two teams of four in each relay. The winner of each individual event and each relay scored 9 points, the second 7 points, the third score 6, and so on. The highest score either team could achieve in a single event was therefore 27 points, and the lowest (barring disqualification, failure to finish or record a mark) 10 (or in relays, 16 and 11 respectively).

Across the competition, a theoretical high score of 966 points was available, and a theoretical low score, ignoring disqualifications, DNFs and no marks, of 373. However, the match would be won once either team achieves over half of all available points - the winning post for the Match before it commenced was therefore 670 points. Following withdrawals and 'no marks' on day one of the Match, the winning post was recalculated as 662 points. Europe secured victory when they reached a 664½–560½ lead. The final result was 724½–601½.

Scoring scheme for The Match USA v Europe :

| Position | Points | Position | Points |
| - | - | - | - |
| 1st | 9 | 5th | 4 |
| 2nd | 7 | 6th | 3 |
| 3rd | 6 | 7th | 2 |
| 4th | 5 | 8th | 1 |
| * 0 points are awarded in the event of a DQ, DNF or NM. ||||

3½ points was awarded for dead heat for 5th place in 400m hurdles men.

### Prize money

The organiser of the event will award prize money to the competitors. For relay events, the winning team will receive €6,000, the runners-up €4,000, and the third-placers €2,000. The prize money structure for individual events is as follows:

* €7,000
* €5,000
* €4,000
* €3,000
* €2,000
* €1,000
* €500
* €500

## Results

### Men

| Event | First | First | Second | Second | Third | Third |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 100 metres | Mike Rodgers United States | 10.20 | Christopher Belcher United States | 10.25 | Demek Kemp United States | 10.25 |
| 200 metres | Ramil Guliyev Europe | 20.16 | Eseosa Desalu Europe | 20.66 | Kyree King United States | 20.83 |
| 400 metres | Michael Cherry United States | 45.13 | Wilbert London United States | 45.39 | Davide Re Europe | 46.05 |
| 800 metres | Amel Tuka Europe | 1:46.77 | Adam Kszczot Europe | 1:46.89 | Isaiah Harris United States | 1:46.94 |
| 1500 metres | Josh Thompson United States | 3:38.88 | Jake Wightman Europe | 3:38.90 | Ben Blankenship United States | 3:39.63 |
| 3000 metres | Ben Blankenship United States | 7:57.48 | Adel Mechaal Europe | 7:57.55 | Yemaneberhan Crippa Europe | 7:58.11 |
| 110 metres hurdles | Orlando Ortega Europe | 13.21 | Sergey Shubenkov Europe | 13.39 | Freddie Crittenden United States | 13.43 |
| 400 metres hurdles | Dave Kendziera United States | 48.99 | Amere Lattin United States | 49.12 | Ludvy Vaillant Europe | 49.20 |
| 3000 metres steeplechase | Hillary Bor United States | 8:32.64 | Stanley Kebenei United States | 8:33.65 | Daniel Arce Europe | 8:33.75 |
| 4 × 100 metres relay | United States 1 Demek Kemp Mike Rodgers Isaiah Young Christopher Belcher | 38.26 | Europe 1 Joris van Gool Taymir Burnet Hensley Paulina Churandy Martina | 38.45 | United States 2 Brandon Carnes Cameron Burrell Cordero Gray Chris Royster | 38.70 |
| High jump | Maksim Nedasekau Europe | 2.35 WL | Ilya Ivanyuk Europe | 2.31 | Jeron Robinson United States | 2.29 |
| Pole vault | Armand Duplantis Europe | 5.85 | Piotr Lisek Europe | 5.80 | Paweł Wojciechowski Europe | 5.75 |
| Long jump | Damarcus Simpson United States | 8.17 | Miltiadis Tentoglou Europe | 8.17 | Eusebio Cáceres Europe | 8.17 |
| * Placings decided on countback ||||||
| Triple jump | Chris Benard United States | 17.01 | Ben Williams Europe | 16.71 | KeAndre Bates United States | 16.70 |
| Shot put | Darrell Hill United States | 22.35 | Konrad Bukowiecki Europe | 21.92 | Filip Mihaljević Europe | 21.60 |
| Discus throw | Lukas Weißhaidinger Europe | 67.22 | Piotr Małachowski Europe | 64.89 | Ola Stunes Isene Europe | 63.99 |
| Hammer throw | Paweł Fajdek Europe | 80.71 | Wojciech Nowicki Europe | 78.33 | Nick Miller Europe | 77.89 |
| Javelin throw | Johannes Vetter Europe | 90.03 | Magnus Kirt Europe | 88.91 | Edis Matusevičius Europe | 83.54 |

### Women

| Event | First | First | Second | Second | Third | Third |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 100 metres | Daryll Neita Europe | 11.29 | Dezerea Bryant United States | 11.30 | Morolake Akinosun United States | 11.39 |
| 200 metres | Brittany Brown United States | 22.61 | Beth Dobbin Europe | 22.92 | Kyra Jefferson United States | 22.99 |
| 400 metres | Wadeline Jonathas United States | 51.01 | Allyson Felix United States | 51.36 | Iga Baumgart-Witan Europe | 51.52 |
| 800 metres | Alexandra Bell Europe | 2:04.81 | Olha Lyakhova Europe | 2:04.90 | Ce'Aira Brown United States | 2:05.38 |
| 1500 metres | Kate Grace United States | 4:02.49 | Shannon Osika United States | 4:04.92 | Eilish McColgan Europe | 4:05.58 |
| 3000 metres | Elise Cranny United States | 9:00.70 | Rachel Schneider United States | 9:00.77 | Eilish McColgan Europe | 9:01.03 |
| 3000 metres steeplechase | Mel Lawrence United States | 9:33.24 | Irene Sánchez-Escribano Europe | 9:38.47 | Viktória Wagner-Gyürkés Europe | 9:42.68 |
| 100 metres hurdles | Sharika Nelvis United States | 12.80 | Karolina Kołeczek Europe | 12.86 | Elvira Herman Europe | 12.92 |
| 400 metres hurdles | Hanna Ryzhykova Europe | 55.32 | Léa Sprunger Europe | 55.46 | Meghan Beesley Europe | 55.49 |
| 4 × 100 metres relay | United States 1 Dezerea Bryant Morolake Akinosun Caitland Smith Ashley Henderson | 43.36 | United States 2 Courtne Davis Kiara Parker Kortnei Johnson Kyra Jefferson | 43.66 | Europe 1 Bowien Jansen Nargelis Statia Pieter Eefje Boons Naomi Sedney | 43.82 |
| High jump | Yuliya Levchenko Europe | 2.02 | Iryna Herashchenko Europe | 1.98 | Mariya Lasitskene Europe | 1.98 |
| Pole vault | Anzhelika Sidorova Europe | 4.85 | Katerina Stefanidi Europe | 4.70 | Katie Nageotte United States | 4.70 |
| Long jump | Nastassia Mironchyk-Ivanova Europe | 6.74 | Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk Europe | 6.73 | Brittney Reese United States | 6.71 |
| Triple jump | Tori Franklin United States | 14.36 | Patrícia Mamona Europe | 14.21 | Dovile Kilty Europe | 14.08 |
| Shot put | Maggie Ewen United States | 19.47 | Fanny Roos Europe | 19.06 | Anita Márton Europe | 18.95 |
| Discus throw | Sandra Perković Europe | 67.65 | Laulauga Tausaga-Collins United States | 63.71 | Valarie Allman United States | 62.44 |
| Hammer throw | Joanna Fiodorow Europe | 74.34 | Hanna Malyshik Europe | 72.70 | Brooke Andersen United States | 72.59 |
| Javelin throw | Kara Winger United States | 64.63 | Tatsiana Khaladovich Europe | 64.41 | Alexie Alaïs Europe | 60.86 |

### Mixed

| Event | First | First | Second | Second | Third | Third |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1600 metres medley relay | Europe 1 Patrick Domogala Jessica-Bianca Wessolly Iga Baumgart-Witan Amel Tuka | 3:21.13 | United States 1 Remontay McClain Kiara Parker Allyson Felix Isaiah Harris | 3:21.21 | United States 2 Jamiel Trimble Kyra Jefferson Courtney Okolo Brannon Kidder | 3:21.47 |

### Final scores

| Teams | Teams | 100 m | 200 m | 400 m | 800 m | 1500 m | 3000 m | 3000m s | 1/110m h | 400 m h | 4 x 100 m | 1600m relay | HJ | LJ | TJ | PV | SP | DT | HT | JT | Total Score |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Team Europe | M | 14 | 20 | 15 | 23 | 19 | 16 | 21 | 24 | 16½ | 12 | 14 | 25 | 20 | 14 | 27 | 19 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 724½ PTS |
| Team Europe | W | 17 | 19 | 16 | 24 | 14 | 11 | 22 | 20 | 26 | 11 | 14 | 25 | 21 | 20 | 24 | 20 | 21 | 23 | 21 | 724½ PTS |
| Team USA | M | 22 | 17 | 22 | 14 | 18 | 21 | 21 | 13 | 20½ | 15 | 13 | 12 | 17 | 22 | 7 | 18 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 601½ PTS |
| Team USA | W | 20 | 18 | 21 | 13 | 23 | 25 | 15 | 17 | 11 | 16 | 13 | 12 | 15 | 17 | 9 | 17 | 16 | 13 | 16 | 601½ PTS |
| TEAM EUROPE WINS THE MATCH 724½ – 601½ ||||||||||||||||||||||

Points from each placement :

| | | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | Total points |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Points for placement | Points for placement | 9 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | |
| Team Europe | Events | 17 | 26 | 21 | 23 | 16 | 19 | 12 | 4 | 724½ |
| Team Europe | Points | 153 | 182 | 126 | 115 | 63½ | 57 | 24 | 4 | 724½ |
| Team USA | Events | 20 | 11 | 16 | 14 | 19 | 14 | 20 | 21 | 601½ |
| Team USA | Points | 180 | 77 | 96 | 70 | 75½ | 42 | 40 | 21 | 601½ |

* 17 events were won by Team Europe; Team USA won 20.
* Team Europe achieved 64 podium positions; Team USA achieved 47.
