Laros grabs European promotion title at 5,000 meters, also gold Nillessen and Phijffers

Laros grabs European promotion title at 5,000 meters, also gold Nillessen and Phijffers

Niels Laros won the 5,000 meter title at the European Athletics U23 Championships on Saturday. Stefan Nillessen and Jonas Phijffers also won gold in Bergen, Norway.

The twenty-year-old Laros finished in a time of 13:44.74. He beat the Irishman Nicholas Griggs (13:45.80) and the Briton Will Barnicoat (13:46.11).

Laros ran at the front for almost the entire race. The Brabander had a strong final sprint and thus ran away from the competition in the final meters.

Two years ago, Laros also won gold in the 1,500 and 5,000 meters at the European Athletics U20 Championships. In 2022, he won the European titles under eighteen years old in the 1,500 and 3,000 meters.

Laros impressed earlier this month at the Diamond League meeting in Eugene, USA. There, the Dutchman achieved a sensational victory in the English mile. With 3:45.94, he shaved almost three seconds off his own national record.

The 22-year-old Nillessen won the European title in the 1,500 meters in Bergen. The Gelderlander left the Frenchman Paul Anselmi (3:45.35) and the Pole Filip Rak (3:45.42) behind with 3:44.87. Two years ago in Espoo, Finland, Nillessen also won the European U23 title in the 1,500 meters.

Phijffers won European gold in Norway in the 400 meters. The 22-year-old athlete from Hellendoorn sped to a personal record of 44.82. He finished ahead of the Pole Maksymilian Szwed (45.28) and the Briton Brodie Young (45.34).

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