Norwegian athlete Jakob Ingebrigtsen triumphed in the 5,000-meter event at the European championships in Birmingham, England, marking his fourth consecutive victory despite returning from injury. Ingebrigtsen, a two-time Olympic champion, underwent surgery earlier this year to address issues with scar tissue on his left Achilles tendon. During the race, he displayed a remarkable surge of speed in the final stretch, overtaking Florian Bremm of Germany to finish first in 13 minutes and 15.29 seconds, with Bremm securing second place and France’s Etienne Daguinos coming in third.

Reflecting on his win, Ingebrigtsen expressed his disbelief at reclaiming the European title after facing significant challenges due to his injury. His competitors praised his exceptional performance, with Daguinos hailing him as a “legend of our sport” and Bremm acknowledging Ingebrigtsen’s superior speed even post-injury.

Ingebrigtsen did not compete in the 1,500-meter event in Birmingham, focusing solely on the 5,000 meters where he has enjoyed previous success. His Achilles injury had impacted his performance at the world championships in Tokyo last September. With this latest victory, Ingebrigtsen further solidified his status as the most successful male athlete in European championship history, claiming his seventh individual gold medal.

In other events at the championships, Amy Hunt of Britain clinched the women’s 100-meter title in a closely contested race, while Dutch shot putter Jessica Schilder secured her third consecutive gold medal with an impressive throw of 20.73 meters. Schilder’s dominance in the event was evident, with her confident performance earning her yet another triumph on the European stage.