The European Athletics Indoor Championships in Apeldoorn, Netherlands from 6-9 March 2025 will see a wave of familiar faces aiming to defend the titles they claimed two years ago in Istanbul 2023.
With a mix of Olympic champions, national heroes, and emerging stars, these reigning gold medalists will have to fend off strong competition to hold onto their crowns.
Ceccarelli and Kambundji: Sprint Kings & Queens Return
Italy’s Samuele Ceccarelli stunned the athletics world in Istanbul 2023, beating Olympic champion Marcell Jacobs to claim 60m gold. Now, the defending champion faces an even deeper field as he looks to prove his breakout win was no fluke.
On the women’s side, Mujinga Kambundji has been a dominant force in the 60m, winning back-to-back European indoor titles in 2021 and 2023. The Swiss sprint star will aim for a rare three-peat, but with a new generation of sprinters emerging, she’ll have to be at her very best.
Ingebrigtsen’s Historic Double Quest
Norwegian superstar Jakob Ingebrigtsen will look to extend his 1500/3000m dominance, a feat he first accomplished in Istanbul 2023 and is hoping to repeat in Apeldoorn. If he succeeds, it would bring his total European indoor titles to seven, equaling the all-time record held by Valeriy Borzov.
Hurdles Showdowns
Switzerland’s Jason Joseph (men’s 60m hurdles) and Finland’s Reetta Hurske (women’s 60m hurdles) were both surprise winners in Istanbul 2023 but have since solidified themselves as top contenders in their events. Both will return looking to repeat, though the competition will be fierce.
Tentoglou, Mahuchikh and Guttormsen: Jump Stars Defend Their Crowns
Three of the biggest names in European jumping will be back to defend their titles:
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Miltiadis Tentoglou (long jump) – The Greek star has won every major indoor championship since 2019 and is aiming for his fourth consecutive European indoor gold.
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Yaroslava Mahuchikh (high jump) – The reigning Olympic, world, and European indoor champion is chasing a third straight European indoor title.
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Sondre Guttormsen (pole vault) – The Norwegian will try to defend his title against a stacked field, including Olympic bronze medalist Emmanouil Karalis.
Weir and Dongmo: Shot Put Defenders Face Tough Challenges
Italy’s Zane Weir and Portugal’s Auriol Dongmo return as the defending champions in the men’s and women’s shot put, respectively. Dongmo, who won back-to-back European indoor golds (2021 & 2023), will try to make it three in a row, while Weir faces a strong challenge from world leader Leonardo Fabbri.
Belgium and Netherlands: 4x400m Title Holders Battle Again
The Belgian men’s 4x400m team and Dutch women’s 4x400m squad will both look to defend their Istanbul 2023 relay titles. With Apeldoorn hosting the championships, expect the home crowd to roar the Netherlands’ team to an inspired performance.
Final Countdown: Who Can Go Back-to-Back?
Defending a title is never easy, and Apeldoorn 2025 will test every reigning champion. With younger challengers rising and some champions needing to prove they still belong at the top, this year’s European Indoors promises to be one of the most thrilling yet.