Running News Daily

The 38th European Athletics Indoor Championships, held from March 6 to 9, 2025, at the Omnisport Apeldoorn arena in Apeldoorn, Netherlands, showcased a series of remarkable performances and dramatic events. This edition marked the third time the Netherlands hosted the championships, following previous editions in 1973 and 1989.

Notable Performances:

• Women’s 60 Meters: Italy’s Zaynab Dosso delivered a sensational performance, claiming the gold medal with a world-leading time of 7.01 seconds.

• Men’s 1,500 and 3,000 Meters: Norwegian standout Jakob Ingebrigtsen showcased his dominance by winning both the 1,500m and 3,000m events. In the 3,000m, he secured gold with a time of 7:48.37, marking his seventh European Indoor title at the age of 24. Britain’s George Mills earned silver, finishing just over a second behind Ingebrigtsen.  

• Women’s 3,000 Meters: The final was marked by a dramatic incident involving Dutch athlete Maureen Koster, who fell and was rendered unconscious early in the race. Despite the unsettling event, Ireland’s Sarah Healy claimed gold with a time of 8:52.86, narrowly defeating Britain’s Melissa Courtney-Bryant, who secured silver. Koster was later reported to be conscious and responsive.

• Men’s 800 Meters: Irish middle-distance runner Mark English clinched the bronze medal, marking his third European indoor medal and fifth overall. He finished with a time of 1:45.46, showcasing a strong final lap.  

• Women’s Triple Jump: Spain’s Ana Peleteiro secured the gold medal with a jump of 14.37 meters, her best mark of the year and the third-best worldwide. This victory adds to her impressive tally of eight international medals, including an Olympic bronze in Tokyo 2021.  

• Mixed 4x400 Meters Relay: In the inaugural mixed relay event at the European Indoors, the Dutch team, anchored by Femke Bol, clinched gold with a time of 3:15.63, setting a championship record. Belgium and Great Britain secured silver and bronze, respectively.

Controversies and Challenges:

• Women’s 4x400 Meters Relay: The British team initially appeared set for gold; however, a controversial reinstatement of the Dutch team, following a disqualification for obstruction during the final takeover, led to Britain settling for silver. The Dutch team set a European Indoor record with a time of 3:24.34.  

• Women’s 1,500 Meters: Georgia Hunter Bell, a favorite for gold, was hampered by an ear infection. Leading with 100 meters to go, she struggled in the final stretch, finishing off the podium as France’s Agathe Guillemot took gold.

The host nation, the Netherlands, showcased a strong performance, particularly in relay events and individual disciplines like the triple jump. Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen’s continued excellence solidified their standing in middle-distance events. Ireland’s emergence, highlighted by Sarah Healy’s gold in the 3,000 meters and Mark English’s bronze in the 800 meters, marked a significant achievement for the nation.

Overall, the championships highlighted both seasoned athletes defending their titles and emerging talents making their mark on the European stage.

Ana Peleteiro represents women who have suffered sexual abuse in silence but only open up after they have been heartbroken.

Tokyo Olympics triple jump bronze medalist Ana Peleteiro has opened up on the horrifying rape and abuse ordeal she suffered at the hands of a former partner.

Peleteiro, 29, is highly regarded, with the Spaniard having won a gold medal at the 2024 European Championships. Peleteiro, who mastered a sixth-place finish at Paris Olympics, is also Spain's national record holder and currently married to French triple jumper Benjamin Compaore.

Peleteiro released a video on her TikTok channel where she bravely recounted what she was a victim of in a past relationship. She joined the viral social media trend under the name 'y aun asi me quede', which means 'and yet I stayed', according to the Daily Mail.

Within the clip, Peleteiro denounced the repeated rapes and psychological abuse of her former partner, who she didn't name. "I would wake up at night having sex without consent and yet I stayed," she said. "Absolutely everything about me changed, from my clothes to my hair, the way I acted with my family, distancing myself from so many people. And yet I stayed.

"He told me that if we didn't have sex whenever he wanted, it would damage the relationship and that, after all, those who don't eat at home eat out. He said that if he was unfaithful to me later, I shouldn't be surprised. And yet I stayed," Peleteiro recounted.

She continued. "If I went to his house on the weekends, he would disappear and suddenly I knew absolutely nothing. He would say good morning to me, maybe sporadically one day, and he would excuse himself by saying that he needed his space and that I had to trust him and let him do those things because that was normal in a relationship. And yet I stayed."

Peleteiro also went on to highlight the emotional manipulation she suffered and how her former partner's disloyalty was played against her. She said the reason why she opened up on her situation and insisted there is a way out for women who find themselves in a similar position.