Sweden’s Andreas Almgren eclipsed the European 5000m record on home soil with a statement victory in the Stockholm Diamond League on Sunday (15) evening.
Covering the last two laps in 59.90 and 58.07 respectively, Almgren came home for victory in the Swedish capital in a European record of 12:44.27 only 10 minutes after his compatriot Armand Duplantis had broken the world record in the pole vault.
Almgren shaved less than one second off Mohamed Katir’s previous European record of 12:45.01 and the Swede - who also holds the European 10km record at 26:53 - also moves to tenth on the world all-time 5000m list.
"This is probably the most memorable night of my life and career so far. I have felt awful on the start-line at previous Stockholm Diamond Leagues but this year I wanted to do my very best. I wanted to give the spectators from my home city something to remember," said Almgren who began his career as a middle distance runner before moving through the distances.
He added: "I had the European record in mind this season so I am so pleased to break it along with the Swedish and stadium record. If I look back nine years ago, it was here in this stadium where I broke my navicular bone which led to five or so years of injury. I am so delighted and proud to have returned here and produced such a performance."
Almgren also smashed the meeting record which had previously belonged to former world record-holder and world champion Daniel Komen who clocked 12:51.60 in 1996.
Meeting record of 52.11 for Bol
Reigning world and European 400m hurdles champion Femke Bol recorded her fifth successive victory in Stockholm, improving her meeting record to 52.11 which equates to the equal seventh fastest time of her career.
Bol was pushed hard by former world record-holder and Olympic champion Dalilah Muhammad who matched Bol until the eighth hurdle when the Dutchwoman pulled clear for another commanding victory on the Diamond League circuit.
However, Muhammad was rewarded with a season’s best of 52.93 - her first sub-53 second clocking since 2021.
European champion Kristjan Ceh from Slovenia defeated world champion Daniel Stahl on home territory in the discus.
Ceh took the initiative in the third round with 69.73m but there was almost a plot-twist in the last round with Stahl improving to 69.53m to come within 20 centimetres of Ceh who has already surpassed 72 metres three times in 2025.
Also on the track, Olympic 1500 bronze medallist Georgia Hunter-Bell dropped down in distance to win the 800m in 1:57.66 ahead of world champion Mary Moraa (1:57.83) and world indoor champion Prudence Sekgodiso (1:58.00) while her British teammate Innes FitzGerald, 19, ran a well-measured race to finish an excellent third in the 3000m in 8:32.90 to move to second on the European all-time U20 list.