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Nillessen claims shock European 1,500m gold / Photo: Paul ELLIS - AFP
Nillessen claims shock European 1,500m gold
Dutchman Stefan Nillessen produced an astonishing turn of pace in the last 50 metres to claim a shock victory in the men's 1,500m at the European championships in Birmingham on Saturday.
The race looked like it was going the way of one of the two Britons in the race, 2022 world champion Jake Wightman or Jake Heyward, but Nillessen moved through the field with aplomb to take a stunning gold in 3min 35.70sec.
Sweden's Samuel Pihlstrom took silver in 3:36.16, with Ireland's Andrew Coscoran rounding out the podium (3:36.24).
In the absence of three-time champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen, who chose to compete solely in the 5,000m, which he won for a fourth straight time, the race was there for the taking.
Wightman and Portugal's reigning world champion Isaac Nader were considered favourites.
Norway's 2023 world 1,500m bronze medallist Narve Gilje Nordas took up the running, the pack tightly bunched, shoulder-to-shoulder across the track and along the curb.
Nordas took the bell for the final lap with the two Britons.
Heyward surged, followed by Wightman and Nillessen.
At 200m Nader tried a pass, but was quickly palmed off.
As Wightman and Heyward kicked into the home straight of the Alexander Stadium, the crowd rose to their feet.
Then out of nowhere came the fleet-footed Nillessen, a two-time European U23 champion and also an Olympic finalist, for an astonishing victory.
Z.Quintana--HdM
