On a busy and pivotal weekend of national championships action across Europe, six-time European champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen completed the first part of a 1500/5000m double on his home track at the Norwegian Championships in Sandnes on Friday (28) evening.
In cold and windy conditions, Ingebrigtsen won the 1500m in a solo 3:34.03 - the fastest time ever recorded at the Norwegian Championships.
“It is absolutely fantastic. It was strange to prepare for the competition at home in my own house,” said Ingebrigtsen who was racing for the first time since becoming a father earlier in the week.
Ingebrigtsen returns to the track today (29) for the 5000m where he will face world 1500m bronze medallist Narve Gilje Nordas.
Other day one highlights included European decathlon silver medallist Sander Skotheim leaping out to an excellent 7.94m in the long jump and multiple national record-holder Henriette Jaeger winning the 400m in 51.69.
More European champions in winning form around the continent
Fresh from winning the European triple jump title in Rome, Ana Peleteiro-Compaore won the triple jump title at the Spanish Championships in La Nucia with 14.27m.
On an evening where the distance events took centre stage, Thierry Ndikumwenayo won the 5000m title in 13:20.81 ahead of Adel Mechaal with 13:24.52 and Carolina Robles won the 3000m steeplechase title in a championship record of 9:22.19 ahead of Irene Sanchez-Escribano in 9:24.47.
Two-time European 200m champion Mujinga Kambundji dropped down to the 100m to win the Swiss Championships title in Winterthur in a fast 11.01 ahead of Salome Kora (11.15) and Geraldine Frey (11.21).
Fellow European champion Angelica Moser won the pole vault title by 4.65m albeit by just one height ahead of Pascale Stocklin (4.60m) and Lea Bachmann (4.50m).
Annik Kalin leapt out to 6.82m - just two centimetres shy of her Swiss record - to win the women’s long jump title while Simon Ehammer won the men’s long jump title with 8.03m.
At the Dutch Championships in Hengelo, two-time European shot put champion Jessica Schilder approached the 20 metre-barrier again with 19.79m. European 10,000m silver medallist Diane Van Es won the 5000m with a solo 15:15.70.
Fajdek defeats Nowicki for the Polish hammer title
Pawel Fajdek defeated Olympic and three-time European hammer champion Wojciech Nowicki in the hammer in the 100th edition of the Polish Championships in Bydgoszcz.
Fajdek broke the 80 metre-barrier for the first time this season with a season’s best of 80.02m. Nowicki recorded a best of 75.89m and retired after four attempts.
Recently crowned European 400m champion Natalia Kaczmarek won her specialist event in 50.77 ahead of 36-year-old veteran Marika Popowicz-Drapala who was second in a lifetime best of 51.42.
There were also fast times in the sprint hurdles finals. 2022 European champion Pia Skrzyszowska returned to competition after a minor injury with victory in the 100m hurdles in 12.67 while 21-year-old Jakub Szymanski won the 110m hurdles title in a lifetime best of 13.25 to equal the Polish record.
Double European U20 champion Marek Zakrzewski, 18, won the 200m title in a Polish U20 record and European U20 leading time of 20.50.
Elsewhere around Europe…
On the first day of the French Championships in Angers, Pablo Mateo won the 100m title in 10.08 ahead of Jeff Erius in 10.11. European cross country champion Yann Schrub won the 5000m title in 13:41.38.
At the German Championships in Braunschweig, European indoor 3000m champion Hanna Klein won the 5000m title in 15:11.83.
Former European indoor champion Airine Palsyte cleared the Olympic qualifying standard of 1.97m at the Lithuanian Championships in Palanga. Martynas Alekna won the discus title with 63.59m in the absence of his younger brother Mykolas and Andrius Gudzius.
At the Swedish Championships in Uddevalla, in-form sprinter Julia Henriksson won the 100m title in a wind-aided 11.08 (+3.1). There were also championship records in the 3000m steeplechase for Emilia Lillemo (9:28.99) and Leo Magnusson (8:22.03).
Former European indoor bronze medallist Lotta Kemppinen won the 100m title at the Finnish Championships in Vaasa in 11.19 (+2.1).
Rubin Querinjean won the 3000m steeplechase title at the Luxembourg Championships in a national record of 8:18.82.
Steven Mills for European Athletics