2024 men's Rising Star Niels Laros was among the European winners in the Brussels Diamond League on Friday (22) evening.
One month after winning an unprecedented double in the 800m and 5000m at the European Athletics U23 Championships, the 20-year-old Dutchman defeated a stellar field with a tactically astute display in the 1500m, his specialist distance.
Laros worked his way into a good position on the last lap before kicking decisively with 200 metres remaining, winning in 3:30.58 by a clear margin over probable pre-race favourite Phanuel Koech from Kenya (3:31.41) and Olympic bronze medallist Yared Nuguse (3:31.51).
"This is my second Diamond League of the season and second win. I choose my races precisely and it's nice that it turns out this way. I had some setbacks earlier this season and I know that I am not in my best possible shape yet," said Laros who also won the U20 race at the 2024 SPAR European Cross Country Championships.
There was also a big win in the 3000m steeplechase for Luxembourg's Ruben Querinjean who outsprinted perennial world and Olympic fourth-placer Getnet Wale from Ethiopia for victory in a national record of 8:09.47 to Wale's 8:09.62.
He becomes only the second athlete from Luxembourg to take a victory in the Diamond League after Patrizia Van der Weken who won the 100m in Paris last year.
"This is really exceptional. In the last metres I felt that it was possible to take the win, but I never thought that this time would be possible. I have the confidence in my sprint at the end of a race, but to do it here tonight is something else. A time around 8:12 was the goal, but this is really unbelievable," said Querinjean.
Close to 90 metres for Weber
World leader Julian Weber from Germany racked up another victory on the Diamond League circuit in the men's javelin.
After setting the standard in the first round with 87.01m, Weber improved to 89.75m in the fourth round for a clear victory over 2012 Olympic champion Keshorn Walcott from Trinidad & Tobago (86.30m) and Grenada's former two-time world champion Anderson Peters (85.17m).
European indoor champion Oleh Doroshchuk also won the high jump on countback from home favourite Thomas Carmoy on countback at 2.25m.
Other notable Belgian performances included Eliott Crestan winning the non-Diamond League 800m in 1:43.91 and Dylan Borlee breaking the 45 second-barrier for the first time at the age of 32, finishing second in the 400m 'B' race in 44.94.
Naomi Van den Broeck also finished third in the 400m hurdles in a Belgian record of 54.12 and European 10,000m Cup winner Jana Van Lent set a national record of 14:37.47 to finish 10th in the 5000m.
In the same race, European bronze medallist Marta Garcia finished fifth in a Spanish record of 14:33.40, the second fastest time by a European in 2025.