WILLEMSTAD (DA) — Curaçao will have a strong presence at the 2026 European Athletics Championships after Taymir Burnet, Terrence Agard, Liemarvin Bonevacia, Matthew Sophia, Denzel Comenentia and Vanessa Mercera were selected to represent the Netherlands.
The championships will be held from Aug. 10-16 at Alexander Stadium in Birmingham, England. The Dutch federation selected 60 athletes — 28 women and 32 men — for the first European Athletics Championships staged in Great Britain.
Burnet was selected to compete in the men’s 100 meters and as part of the 4×100-meter relay team, while Sophia will participate in the 110-meter hurdles.
Agard and Bonevacia, two experienced members of the Dutch relay program, were named to the men’s 4×400-meter squad. Bonevacia is a four-time Olympian and the Dutch record holder in the 400 meters. He has indicated that Birmingham could mark the final international appearance of his career.
Mercera was selected for the women’s 4×400-meter relay team. The heats are scheduled for Aug. 14, with the final set for Aug. 16 for the teams that advance.
Comenentia will represent the Netherlands in the men’s hammer throw. The Olympian will begin qualifying Aug. 10, with the final scheduled for the following evening for athletes who advance.
Burnet and Sophia will begin their individual events Aug. 11. The men’s 4×400 relay heats are scheduled for Aug. 14, while the men’s 4×100 heats and final will be held Aug. 15. The men’s 4×400 final is scheduled for Aug. 16.
The Netherlands will arrive in Birmingham after winning a national-record 12 medals at the 2024 championships in Rome, where it finished sixth in the medal standings.
The six selections again highlight Curaçao’s contribution across several areas of Dutch athletics, from sprinting and hurdles to relays and field events.