Today marks the one week to go countdown to the 2025 European Athletics U23 Championships in Bergen from 17-20 July
Ahead of the championships, we pick out 10 athletes who are expected to star in the Fana Stadium. Many of the names will already be familiar with the likes of Niels Laros from the Netherlands and Serbia's Angelina Topic aiming to complete the set of major European age-group titles.
The championships will be streamed live from start to finish through the European Athletics website courtesy of Eurovision Sport where additional streams will be available.
Niels Laros (NED)
Dutch prodigy Niels Laros has come away with double gold at the European Athletics U18 and U20 Championships and keeping with tradition, the 20-year-old has entered two events in Bergen.
But this time, Laros could attempt a wholly unconventional 800/5000m double in Bergen. And with only heats before the 800m final and the 5000m being run as a straight final, the timetable does allow Laros to attempt another audacious double.
With a 13:10.86 lifetime best, Laros is the fastest entrant in the 5000m but he will face strong opposition in the 800m. The entry-list features no fewer than eight athletes who have broken the 1:45-barrier in 2025, including Germany’s Alexander Stepanov who leads the entry-list with a 1:44.17 lifetime best.
Adriana Vilagos (SRB)
Like Laros, Adriana Vilagos was crowned Rising Star on the women’s side at the Golden Tracks awards night in Skopje, North Macedonia last October.
The reigning European U20 javelin champion will be looking to continue her passage through the age-group ranks with another gold medal at U23 level. Vilagos has improved to 67.22m this year which puts the championship record of 65.60m firmly within her grasp.
Henriette Jaeger (NOR)
Henriette Jaeger has been one of the faces of the championships and she could be one of the most visible athletes on the track as she has entered the 200m, 400m and 4x400m relay.
Jaeger played a starring role in one of the highlights of the 2023 European Athletics U23 Championships in Espoo, missing out on the 400m title by just 0.02 in a home straight battle against Brit Yemi Mary John - soon-to-be Olympic 800m champion Keely Hodgkinson finished third - who will be defending her title in Bergen.
But two years later, Jaeger begins as the outstanding favourite to win 400m gold on home soil in Bergen. She won European indoor silver behind Lieke Klaver in Apeldoorn in March and broke the 50 second-barrier outdoors at home in Oslo last month with a Norwegian record of 49.62.
Angelina Topic (SRB)
Given her list of achievements, it is easy to forget that Angelina Topic - who has already picked up three senior medals at European level - is still only 19.
This is the Serbian’s first year in the U23 ranks and she will be aiming for a hat-trick of age-group titles in the high jump having won U18 and U20 gold in 2022 and 2023.
Saga Vanninen (FIN)
At 22, Saga Vanninen has already amassed an enviable title haul - including pentathlon gold at both the European and World Athletics Indoor Championships - and the Finn will be looking to crown her glittering age-group career by defending her heptathlon title in Bergen.
The Finn, who is now coached by 2000 Olympic decathlon champion Erki Nool, is yet to contest a heptathlon this year but her lifetime best of 6391 points dating back to 2023 looks due for some thorough revision if the conditions in Bergen allow.
Audrey Werro (SUI)
The long-striding Swiss Audrey Werro begins as the outstanding favourite for the 800m title. And if she wins, this will be her third successive major age-group title having won the 800m gold at both the 2021 and 2023 European Athletics U20 Championships.
Bozhidar Saraboyukov (BUL)
Bozhidar Saraboyukov’s backflip celebration is becoming something of his trademark and the Bulgarian could uncork the acrobatics twice in Bergen as he leads the entry-list in both the long jump and triple jump with season’s bests of 8.19m and 16.53m respectively.
After missing out on the European U20 title by just one centimetre to Mattia Furlani in 2023, Saraboyukov beat Furlani for the European indoor title in Apeldoorn by the same winning margin. And with Furlani opting to miss these championships, the path looks clear for Saraboyukov to land another title in the long jump.
Stefan Nillessen (NED)
Dutch middle distance is more than just about Niels Laros. In fact, Stefan Nillessen eclipsed his Dutch 1500m record in the Paris Diamond League last month with 3:29.23.
Nillessen came to wider prominence by winning the European Athletics U23 Championships two years ago and the 22-year-old has made sterling progress through the ranks, toeing the start-line alongside the likes of Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Josh Kerr in the Olympic 1500m final in Paris last year, finishing a creditable ninth.
Like Laros, Nillessen could also be on double duty in Bergen as he has also entered the 3000m steeplechase. He clocked 8:32.78 at the distance earlier this summer on his debut over the barriers.
Matteo Sioli (ITA)
The Gianmarco Tamberi effect? Three of the top four ranked jumpers on the entry-list for Bergen in the men's high jump are from Italy.
And leading the way is Matteo Sioli. Only 19, Sioli cleared his lifetime best of 2.29m at the European Athletics Indoor Championships in Apeldoorn where he won bronze.
Mika Sosna (GER)
The Germans have an embarrassment of riches in the throwing events in Bergen where they will be looking to claim a brace of titles.
The discus entry-list is headed by Mika Sosna who has broken the 70 metre-barrier twice this year, both times in Ramona, before finishing second to reigning world champion Daniel Stahl at the European Athletics Team Championships in Madrid.
But whoever wins will follow in some esteemed footsteps. The last two winners of the U23 discus title have been reigning European champion Kristjan Ceh (2019, 2021) and current world record-holder Mykolas Alekna (2023).