Jakob Ingebrigtsen showed plenty of kick on his comeback from injury by winning his fourth consecutive 5,000-metre title at the European championships Monday in Birmingham, England.
The two-time Olympic champion from Norway hadn't raced since having surgery early this year to clean up scar tissue on the protective sheath around his left Achilles tendon.
"I doubted myself every day coming in to this and every minute leading up to the last lap today, but I'm always hoping to do my best," said Ingebrigtsen, who finished a humbling 10th in his last race at the world championships in Tokyo last year.
"Coming from the lowest of lows to be European champion again means the world to me. Not even I believed it could happen coming here. Only with 600 metres to go, I knew I would win."
With less than 100 metres to the finish, Ingebrigtsen was in third place before accelerating to the front and passing Florian Bremm of Germany in the final 50 to cross the line in 13 minutes 15:29 seconds. Bremm was second, followed by France's Etienne Daguinos.
"When Jakob went in front I knew I couldn't stay with him. He's a legend of our sport. We knew if he's here tonight it was because he is in good shape. He's so strong. He showed that tonight," said Daguinos. "I am so proud to share a podium with him."
Ingebrigtsen is not racing in the 1,500 in Birmingham. He's won both the 1,500 and 5,000 at the past three European championships.
2-time Olympic champion Ingebrigtsen has Achilles surgery
The Achilles problem seemed to be a factor in Ingebrigtsen's performance at last September's world championships in Tokyo, where he failed to advance out of the first round of the 1,500 and finished 10th in the 5,000 final.
Ingebrigtsen's seventh individual European gold extended his record as the most successful male athlete ever at the continental championship.
Jakob Ingebrigtsen 🇳🇴 wins GOLD in his season opener at the European Championships over 5000m!<br><br>First race in almost a year and after 6 good weeks of training. <a href="https://t.co/gnFrvBvYnM">pic.twitter.com/gnFrvBvYnM</a>
Netherlands star Jessica Schilder made it three in a row in the shot put, taking gold with a throw of 20.73 metres at Alexander Stadium.
The reigning world champion's teammate Jorinde van Klinken (19.64) won silver, and 2024 Olympic champion Yemisi Mabry (19.50) of Germany was third.
Schilder is the only woman this decade to surpass 21 metres when she threw 21.09 at the Shanghai Diamond League in May.
Schilder won gold at the past two European championships: 2024 in Rome and 2022 in Munich.
