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Poland’s Maciej Megier denies Nillessen distance double in thrilling 3000m steeplechase final

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Poland’s Maciej Megier held off 1500m winner Stefan Nillessen to win a thrilling men’s 3000m steeplechase at Bergen 2025 in a new championships record of 8:20.17.

Bergen 2025 is being live streamed on the European Athletics website courtesy of Eurovision Sport.

Dramatic finish in a changeable race

It was a final that ebbed and flowed throughout with athletes swapping the lead on multiple points of the race. As European U23 leader, Megier made it a true run race from the start and he led though the opening 1k in 2:47.30 to string the field out.

Although Nillessen had lingered towards the rear, he moved towards the front of the pack to stay with striking range of the Pole.

With three laps to go, he sat ominously on the shoulder of the Pole and with 1k to go, he took to the front. At that stage, Megier looked like he was starting to labour, and Spain’s Rubén Leonardo and Portugal’s Lourenço Rodrigues streamed past. 

On the last lap, Nillessen and Rodrigues were pushing the pace. Megier was still in touch, but Leonardo had started to flag. On the back straight the Portugese athlete looked set to take charge surging to the lead.

 

But then Magier found a new lease of life and reclaimed the lead out of the water jump, as Nillessen stumbled. On the finishing straight, all three were still in contention for gold. Nillessen’s 1500m speed began to tell and he passed Rodrigues to retake second.

But Megier was the more fluent over the final barrier and had just enough left to hold off the charging Dutchman, clocking 8:20.17, nearly three seconds from his previous best and more than five seconds quicker than Martin Pröll’s 22-year-old championship record.

Nillessen, such an impressive 1500m winner on Friday (19), had to settle for silver on this occasion, albeit with a national U23 record of 8:20.48. The resolute Rodrugues was rewarded with bronze in another national U23 record of 8:21.99.

"I was a bit scared"

“Everything was decided in the finish,” said Megier afterwards. “The level of the runners is so high at the moment, that it was very hard to break from the group. The run was very equal from the start to the finish and nobody wanted to lose the position. 

“I have to admit that I was a bit scared before this final because I knew that my opponents were super strong. And the finish was super hard, just as I expected. I would be happy also for the second or third place, to be honest. This medal was very important to me because I had a good preparation this year.”

Spanish sprinters shine again in relay heats

In the relay heats, the surge in Spanish sprinting continued apace, as they headed the qualifiers in both the men’s and women’s 4x100m, as well as the men’s 4x100m. Great Britain led the women’s 4x100m qualifiers. In the men’s 4x100m, Slovenia qualified second fastest with 39.05, a new senior and U23 national record.




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