Niels Laros and Stefan Nillessen landed a superb Dutch distance double in the men’s 5000m and men’s 1500m at the Bergen 2025 European Athletics U23 Championships on Saturday.
Bergen 2025 is being live streamed on the European Athletics website courtesy of Eurovision Sport.
Training partners as well as international team mates, the pair both ran perfectly executed races, timing their acceleration to perfection to come away with gold.
For Laros it also completed a full set of European age group titles, having landed European U18 gold over 1500m and 3000m at Jerusalem 2022 and European U20 gold in the 1500m and 5000m. He is also won the men’s U20 race at the Antalya 2024 SPAR European Cross Country Championships.
Both athletes are also now in contention for their own individual doubles at these championships, with Laros in the men’s 800m final and Nillessen set to contest the men’s 3000m steeplechase final on Sunday.
In the men’s 5000m final, Ireland’s 2021 European U20 3000m champion Nick Griggs took the race by scruff of the neck by going to the front and by the opening kilometre had opened a 20 metre gap. Laros detected the danger and led the field to bridge the gap.
With two laps to go, Griggs still led. But a field brimming with talent sat in his wake. As well as Laros, Great Britain’s twice European U23 cross country gold medallist Will Barnicoat, 2024 world U20 3000m gold medallist Andreas Fjeld Halvorsen of Norway, 10,000m silver medallist Jonathan Grahn of Sweden.
With 600 metres to go, France’s Imad El Goumri moved towards the front, but Laros lengthened his stride and surged to the front at the bell.
As Laros wound up the pace, Griggs strove to stay with him. But by the closing straight, there was only going to be one winner. The Dutch athlete breezed across the line in 13:44.74. Griggs fought off the charging Barnicoat to take silver by 0.31 in 13:45.80.
"The first part of my plan started yesterday (Friday) qualifying for the 800m final which as expected was very hard. But happy I did it," said Laros. "Part two was today, try to stay as calm as possible and get the gold.
"And then it is part 2.5 maybe tomorrow because I have nothing to lose there, I can only run, it is the 800m. We just go out there, have some fun. Get some nice experience. A nice challenge for a unique double."
Nillessen executes perfect race for gold
Nillessen ran a tactically astute race to defend his men’s 1500m title in brilliant style. The Dutch athlete was content to sit at the rear of the field as the pack went through 800 metres in a modest 2:09.40.
But with 600 metres to go Nillessen wound up the pace and went to the front. He led at the bell, with Poland’s Filip Rak, France’s Anas Lagtiy Chaoudar and Italy’s Simone Valduga all in close contention.
With 300 metres to go Valduga surged forward to challenge, but Nillessen still had plenty of gears to go through and shrugged off the threat. With 200 metres to go, he put in another kick to put clear daylight between him and the field.
Nillessen could afford to coast home in 3:44.87 and conserve energy for the 3000m steeplechase final he will contest on Sunday. Behind him France’s Paul Anselmini picked off some tiring athletes to win silver in 3:45.35 with Rak clinging on to bronze in 3:45.42.