The China Mail - Ingebrigtsen delivers masterclass for seventh European athletics gold

The 25-year-old Norwegian timed 13min 15.29sec for victory ahead of Germany's Florian Bremm in 13:15.60. France's Etienne Daguinos took bronze (13:16.09).

"I dreamt of this moment two weeks ago when I put my name on the list," said Ingebrigtsen. "It was just enough."

Ingebrigtsen is now unbeaten at the European championships since he won the 1,500/5,000m double at the 2018 champs in Berlin when he was just 17.

He repeated that double at both the Munich championships in 2022 and Rome two years ago.

Ingebrigtsen will only race the 5,000m in the English city, having not competed this season because of an achilles tendon injury that required surgery.

That followed a disappointing world championships in Tokyo in 2025 when he was knocked out in the heats of the 1,500m and could only finish 10th in the 5,000m -- his last competitive race before heading to Birmingham.

"Hopefully it's not halfway," Ingebrigtsen said of his medal count.

"I'm still extremely young, so I think I'll be back in coming years."

The Norwegian showed no signs of rustiness as he took to the track at Alexander Stadium in his usual imperious form.

As is his wont, he was happy to spend the early laps at the back of the pack that included Belgium's Isaac Kimeli and Jimmy Gressier from France, the 5,000m silver and bronze medallists respectively behind Cole Hocker in Tokyo.

- Fast finish -

Lithuania's Simas Bertasius and Finland's Tuomas Heikkila took up the running before Swiss runner Dominic Lobalu, the 5,000m bronze medallist and 10,000m champion at the 2024 Euros in Rome, surged to the front.

Lobalu, fresh from an impressive victory over 5,000m at the Monaco Diamond League, split the pack into single file.

Gressier left Ingebrigtsen at the back, pulling alongside Lobalu at the front with five laps to run.

As the pace slowed, the pack bunched, at some points four runners wide.

Ingebrigtsen moved effortlessly into the top six, and at one stage exchanging words with Gressier as the pair took control.

With two laps to run, Gressier was out in front, Ingebrigtsen on his coattails and Lobalu hovering wide.

That trio surged again, surprise package Bremm joining the front runners at the bell.

With 200 metres to run, it was all still up for grabs.

Gressier went into the home straight in front, but faded as Bremm roared past him.

Ingebrigtsen, slightly boxed in, took one delicate step to his right and motored past the German in a perfectly-timed coup de grace.

R.Yeung--ThChM