Norwegian completes the ‘double double’ at the European Indoor Champs with 3000m victory, while Kevin Mayer and Miltos Tentoglou were among the men’s winners on the final day in Istanbul
Jakob Ingebrigtsen is the Olympic 1500m champion and world 5000m champion but if he has a sweet spot then it could be the 3000m right now. The 22-year-old had to work hard to hold off the challenge of Neil Gourley in the 1500m final on Friday night but on Sunday evening he seemed a lot more in control as he eased away from Adel Mechaal of Spain on the last lap to win in 7:40.32.
Unusually this was a Norwegian record even though he looked like he was cruising. Everyone else was struggling behind him, though, as he spent most of the race controlling the pace from the front.
The race unfolded slowly with a 66sec first lap but Ingebrigtsen went through 1000m in 2:41.94, then halfway in 3:59.73. The 2000m mark was passed in 5:15.45 and after winding up the pace Ingebrigtsen ran a 55sec final 400m to take the title by a second-and-a-half from Mechaal.
“It was a feeling like I raced myself today,” said Ingebrigtsen, who swapped the striking pink Nike spikes he wore earlier in the championships to white ones for this final. “Maybe it was expected. I would love to get some more competitions but maybe that is just me, expecting too much, I am not sure.”
This means Ingebrigtsen completed the same 1500m and 3000m double that he did in Torun two years ago and he now has five European indoor gold medals.
Elzan Bibic of Servia took bronze with Darragh McElhinney of Ireland placing a fine fourth in a PB of 7:44.72 although the 22-year-old was in tears after the race after coming so close to the podium.
Behind, British duo James West and Jack Rowe were eighth and ninth in 7:48.22 and 7:48.32 respectively.
Ingebrigtsen added: “I am not happy with my indoor season. Not at all. I was not doing anything, really. I had a good October and November and December going to the cross country championships. After that, I have not been doing nothing. But the last couple of weeks have been good. I am really looking forward to getting some good training.”
An uber-tactical and scrappy 800m race saw one Ben beat another as the fast-finishing Adrian Ben of Spain pipped Benjamin Robert of France on the line in 1:47.34 with both men given the same time and the Spaniard winning by eight thousandths of a second.
Adrian Ben pips Benjamin Robert (Getty)
Elliot Crestan of Belgium was fourth…
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