Another championship, another monumental milestone for Jakob Ingebrigtsen. The Norwegian distance running icon won the men’s 1500m in dominant style at the Apeldoorn 2025 European Athletics Indoor Championships on Friday (7).
It was his sixth title at these championships and keeps him on track for an unprecedented third successive 1500m/3000m double, following similar successes in Torun 2021 and Istanbul 2023.
At Glasgow 2019, he won 3000m gold and 1500m silver. It is also his 15th European senior title - and 21, including U20 golds - outdoors, indoors and on cross country in his startling career at the age of 24.
Change of pace
As the expectation built in the Omnisport Arena, Ingebrigtsen was content to sit at the rear of the nine man field in the opening 500 metres. But showing a rare change of pace, he took over at the front a mere 100 metres later and from that point he was never headed.
With two laps to go, France’s Azeddine Habz, bronze medallist two years ago and Portugal’s Isaac Nader got into the Norwegian’s slipstream. With a lap to go Britain’s Neil Gourlay got into contention, but as the train quickened the order stayed unchanged to the finish.
Ingebrigtsen clocked 3:36.56 for gold, from Habz finished in 3:36.92, 0.18 ahead of bronze medallist Nader. Gourley was fourth in 3:38.29.
“You need to do a lot of good things,” said Ingebrigtsen afterwards. “Not only in the preparations, but also in the race. I decided to stay a little bit relaxed the first half, and then go past the field when the pace is usually at its slowest.
“There was never any doubt in my mind, but there is always a game of chance. In the back of my head I know that I have a race tomorrow as well (3000m heats). Now I have to do the good things and prepare for that.”
Guillemot rips up script in women's 1500m
In contrast, the women’s 1500m final did not follow the script. Olympic bronze medallist and European leader Georgia Hunter Bell looked supreme in the heats. And when she took over at the front with four laps to go, it looked like the British athlete had the race in hand.
But with France’s Agathe Guillemot, who won bronze to Hunter Bell’s silver at the Roma 2024 European Athletics Championships, tracking her every move and Portugal’s Salomé Afonso and fellow Brit Revee Walcott-Nolan also in close attendance, everything was still up for grabs with 300 metres to go.
Hunter Bell surged with the bell in sight, but could not break clear of the chasing trio. As they raced down the back straight for the final time there was no decisive move, and so Guillemot picked her moment and took over from the faltering Brit, Alfonso also surged past on the final turn as Hunter Bell stumbled.
The French athlete ran clear for gold in 4:07.23, 0.43 ahead of Alfonso with Walcott-Nolan edging out a rapidly tiring Hunter Bell for bronze, both British athletes were timed at 4:08.45.
“It’s incredible because I could celebrate my victory during the last 100m. At one point, I even wanted to wave at my coach and say ‘look I am winning!’
"It was crazy, I won against Georgia (Hunter Bell) and she had won a medal at the Olympic Games, so I think I did a very good race. It’s my first gold medal in a major championships. Last year, I won a bronze medal in Roma.
"This time, I will be able to hear the French anthem," said the delighted winner.
Chris Broadbent for European Athletics