On the journey to the Madrid 2025 European Athletics Team Championships 1st Division from 27-29 June, we are taking a closer look at the contenders. Here we take a look at one of the rising giants of the sport, the Netherlands.
In recent years, spearheaded by the likes of Femke Bol and Sifan Hassan, Dutch athletics is undergoing a transformative era of high achievement, demonstrated most recently at the Appeldoorn 2025 European Athletics Indoor Championships where they thrilled the home support with an unprecedented seven gold medals.
Alongside the headline grabbing exploits of the likes of Bol, Hassan and others, they have also been increasing the depth and breadth of talent across multiple disciplines. But having achieved their best ever result of sixth last time round and with momentum behind them they could be set for their best ever result at the European Athletics Team Championships.
Flashback to 2023
In Silesia 2023, the Netherlands made their first appearance in the top tier since being relegated in 2017 and they responded with their greatest ever result at the European Athletics Team Championships by placing sixth and safely securing their place in the elite.
It was a performance anchored by some brilliant performances from their female sprinters, including victories by Lieke Klaver (200m), Femke Bol (400m) and the 4x100m team. Bol was one of the outstanding athletes of the event, setting a championship record of 49.82.
Track Record
- Lille 2017, France (11th place- Super League)
A low point for the Dutch as they finished bottom of the scorers (Russia were later disqualified) in France as their great rivals Germany won a record-breaking fourth title. There were two bright spots, Lisanne de Witte won the women’s 400m (51.71) and Thijmen Kupers won the men’s 800m (1:47:18), but the Dutch lacked the strength in depth to trouble the leading nations.
- Bergen 2009, Norway (4th Place- First League)
In the second tier, the Netherlands just missed out on promotion in the inaugural year of the European Athletics Team Championships. It was a busy weekend for sprinter Patrick van Luijk, who was third in both the men’s 100m and 200m before anchoring the 4x100m team to first place.
- Braunschweig 2014, Germany (11th – Super League)
The Dutch team were once again unable to survive in the top flight and were relegated in Germany. But not before some moments of brilliance from future world champions Dafne Schippers and Sifan Hassan.
Schippers won the women’s 200m (22.74) and then ran the second leg in the victorious women’s 4x100m team. Hassan won the women’s 3000m in a championship record of 8:45.24, which survives more than a decade on.
Key athletes
- Femke Bol - Women's 400m hurdles, mixed 4x400m
Still only 25, but already an icon of Dutch sport. Bol is the world record holder for the 400m indoors, she is the world and European champion in the 400m hurdles, alongside her individual brilliance, she has become synonymous with her epic final leg relay runs, garnering her nine major championship gold medals in the women’s 4x400m and mixed 4x400m disciplines.
- Jessica Schilder – Women’s shot put
Twice European champion outdoors (Munich 2022, Roma 2024), she added the indoor crown at Apeldoorn 2025, much to the delight of her home fans. She was fourth last time round at Silesia 2023 and if Netherlands are to rise up the rankings, they will be looking to the likes of Schilder to shoulder that responsibility.
- Menno Vloon – men’s pole vault
A late developer, 31-year-old Vloon is reaching his peak. He shared gold in the men’s pole vault at the Apeldoorn 2025 European Athletics Indoor Championships with Emmanouil Karalis of Greece for his first major medal. The duo could renew their rivalry in Madrid 2025.
- Niels Laros – Men’s 1500m/5000m
A rising star in men’s distance running and the flag bearer for the Netherlands increasing success in men’s endurance running, alongside European indoor 800m gold medallist Samuel Chapple and Stefan Nillessen, was was 9th in the 1500m final at the Paris Olympics.
Laros is a versatile runner with a range from 800m up to 5000m and with multiple age group titles on track and cross country, he is now ready to challenge on the senior stage to build on his sixth place finish over 1500m at last year’s Paris Olympics.
- Nadine Visser – 100m hurdles
A converted heptathlete, Visser is a prolific medallist in the vibrant and highly competitive women’s sprint hurdles scene. She has four medals from the European Athletics Indoor Championships, including two gold (Glasgow 2021 and Torun 2021) and was also fourth in last year’s Paris Olympics.
She is also a value member of the 4x100m team and was part of the Dutch quartet who won bronze at the Roma 2024 European Athletics Championships.