The Apeldoorn 2025 European Athletics Indoor Championships begins today (6) and some big names are due to take to the track this evening, including Olympic champions Femke Bol and Jakob Ingebrigtsen.
Here are five of the must-watch storylines of the first of four days in the Omnisport Arena.
Femke’s anticipated season’s debut
The mixed 4x400m relay makes its debut on the European Athletics Indoor Championships programme and anticipation is high with the incomparable Femke Bol due to make her competitive debut.
Hosts Netherlands are the reigning Olympic champions in the mixed 4x400m thanks in no small part to Bol’s heroics, unleashing a sub-48 second anchor leg to take the Dutch from fourth to gold in the Olympic final.
And even though Lieke Klaver, who has elected to focus on the individual 400m and women’s 4x400m in Apeldoorn, will be missing, the Dutch team will begin as the big favourites to take home the inaugural title.
The line-up also features Ireland – whose team includes Sharlene Mawdsley, who anchored the Irish to an unforgettable mixed 4x400m gold at the Roma 2024 European Athletics Championships – along with Belgium, Czechia, Spain and Olympic bronze medallists Great Britain.
Jakob begins his campaign in the 1500m heats
At 24, Jakob Ingebrigtsen has already accrued 14 European titles at senior levels across all surfaces and disciplines, including five European indoor gold medals.
The indefatigable Norwegian has his sights set on another 1500/3000m double and he begins his campaign in the 1500m heats this evening. And while Ingebrigtsen begins as the redoubtable favourite in both events, don’t be surprised if Jakob makes a sedentary start in his 1500m heat.
At the Roma 2024 European Athletics Championships where Ingebrigtsen won his third 1500/5000m double, Ingebrigtsen caused a stir by allowing the leaders a 10-metre head-start in the opening stages before moving through to pack with his trademark chutzpah to win his heat.
If Ingebrigtsen defends both titles, he will take his tally of European indoor gold medals up to seven – he also won the 3000m title at the age of 18 in 2019 – which would equal Soviet sprinter Valeriy Borzov’s record of most gold medals won by a male athlete.
Will Abel Jordan be the breakout star of Apeldoorn?
A new name to emerge this indoor season is Abel Jordan and the Spaniard takes to the track for the first time in the 60m hurdles heats.
Jordan made headlines at the Spanish Indoor Championships in Madrid two weeks ago when he won the 60m in 6.54 to equal the European lead and finished second in the 60m hurdles in a lifetime best of 7.53.
The 22-year-old is aiming for medals in both events, a feat which hasn’t been achieved at the European Athletics Indoor Championships since 1994 when Colin Jackson swept both titles.
And talking of Jackson, his long-standing championship record of 7.39 could come under pressure by a strong cast of aspirants – including Poland’s Jakub Szymanski who has clocked 7.39 this year – and reigning champion Jason Joseph from Switzerland who won two years ago in 7.41.
Fast cast of women in the 60m hurdles
The women’s 60m hurdles will be one of the most competitive events of the championships, featuring a cast of illustrious sprint hurdlers including two-time champion Nadine Visser from the Netherlands along with Ditaji Kambundji and Pia Skrzyszowska, the silver and bronze medallists in the 100m hurdles at the 2024 European Athletics Championships in Rome, and reigning champion Reetta Hurske from Finland.
But the one to beat could be France’s Laeticia Bapte who ran 7.76 in the semifinals of the French Indoor Championships before winning the final in 7.78. Can the flying Frenchwoman claim her first major medal at these championships?
Furlani on course for first senior gold?
Mattia Furlani began as many people’s favourite for the European indoor long jump title after his 8.37m world lead in Torun and his prospects have been heightened with three-time European indoor and outdoor champion Miltiadis Tentoglou a late withdrawal due to flu.
With the Tentoglou missing, a new European champion will be crowned in the event for the first time since 2017 but also watch out for the experienced Swede Thobias Montler and Furlani’s rival from his U20 days Bozhidar Saraboyukov from Bulgaria who has jumped 8.19m this year.
The automatic qualifying distance for the long jump final which takes place on Friday (7) is 8.00m.
