The longest race at the European Athletics U23 Championships was decided by a mere 0.04 as Denmark’s Joel Ibler Lillesø outsprinted his Nordic rival Jonathan Grahn from Sweden for 10,000m gold in Bergen on Thursday (17) evening.
The Bergen 2025 European Athletics U23 Championships are being live streamed on the European Athletics website courtesy of Eurovision Sport.
Lillesø danced and showboated down the home straight when he won U20 5000m gold in Tallinn four years ago but the 22-year-old had to dig deep into his reserves to overhaul Grahn who led into the home straight of a sit-and-kick race to win in 29:05.45 by the merest of margins.
Grahn led by half-a-stride into the home straight but the reigning European U20 3000m champion couldn’t quite fend off a determined final charge from Lillesø who forged past the leader in the closing strides through sheer determination and force of personality. The winning margin was so narrow that Lillesø had to await confirmation from the scoreboard that he had prevailed in the sprint finish before celebrating.
Lillesø uncorked a final lap of 56.07 to seal the title, marking a dream debut at the distance some four years after he was crowned European U20 champion in the 5000m.
From a DNF in 2023 to gold in 2025
Since then, the Dane’s progress has been halted by a succession of injuries - he was a DNF in the 5000m at the 2023 European Athletics U23 Championships - but this victory shows the Dane is still very much a factor for distance running titles on the continental stage.
“I have had mental battles when there were standstills. And this year I had this calf injury, I was crying nearly every evening. There were a lot of doubts. But I told myself ‘never give up, hang in there.’ I kept believing even when there were many doubts,” said the ebullient Lillesø.
It is shaping up to be an excellent championship for Lillesø’s training group. The Dane is coached by Poland’s Tomasz Lewandowski who also coaches the Dutch duo of Stefan Nillessen and Niels Laros, both of whom could win two gold medals apiece in Bergen. The latter was watching from the sidelines in the Fana Stadium and dispensed a congratulatory hug to his training partner after the race.
Spain’s Jaime Migallon came away with the bronze medal in 29:06.85 while France’s Antonin Saint-Peyre, the long-time leader, finished just out of the medals in a last lap sprint in fourth in 29:08.69.