Galicia Adrián Ben secured the 800 European champion title at this Sunday’s indoor track event, finishing first in a sprint and claiming the victory by a margin of three thousandths. The race began with him in the pack, started from the back, and climbed through the field in a dramatic late surge to cross the line on the final metre.
Relating to
Ben, participating for the third time in a closed European event, executed a very tactical race, positioning himself after the opening moments. With two hundred meters left, he moved into the top three and launched an outside sprint, culminating in a finish time of 1:47.34, just three thousandths ahead of French rival Benjamin Robert. The Belgian athlete Elliot Crestan claimed third place.
EUROPEAN GOLD FOR Adrian Ben!
Additionally, a round of applause was suggested for Viveiro, whose supporters celebrated a remarkable final, acknowledging @adryben44 for the performance.
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– Teledeport (@teledeporte) March 5, 2023
“I began with strength. I watched the others come out strong as well. I tried not to let nerves take over given the contact-heavy nature of the race. I paused with 300 meters to go but remained confident that I would gain an advantage or it would be over.” With 100 meters remaining, Ben saw himself in second place and pushed with everything possible because winning an international medal in Europe had become a personal dream. Being crowned European champion represented a milestone he had long imagined, he later stated after the race.
As a student of Arturo Martín, the Galician athlete earned his first major medal at a significant absolute international championship—marking a notable achievement after a sixth-place finish at the 2019 Doha Outdoor World Cup and a strong fifth place at the Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games in the same year.
Mechaal, silver
The drama continued as Norwegian Jakob Ingebrigtsen was announced the European champion in the 1,500 meters two days earlier, while Mechaal claimed silver in the 3,000. The Spaniard Adel Mechaal finished behind Ingebrigtsen in a race where he challenged for the podium, underscoring a competitive showdown that highlighted the discipline’s depth.
EUROPEAN SILVER FOR Adel Mechaal!
It was a display reminiscent of battles that often reveal the broader story of this sport—the relentless pursuit of excellence in the face of elite competition, sometimes described by observers as the “mortals’ gold” when facing the world’s best like Ingebrigtsen.
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– Teledeport (@teledeporte) March 5, 2023
Twenty-two-year-old Ingebrigtsen continued to collect gold medals in every championship he entered, extending a remarkable streak that included a series of victories across indoor and outdoor events. His recent performances in Istanbul featured wins across both the 1,500 and 5,000 meters, signaling a dominant phase that set him apart from most of his peers. The Norwegian athlete added another chapter to his already storied career by conquering the 3,000-meter race in this competition, reinforcing a growing legacy in European indoor track history.
Ingebrigtsen led from the start, maintaining the pace he desired until the clock stopped at 7:40.32, marking a distance record for the Norwegian competitor. The only athlete who managed to stay close was Adel Mechaal, who, while unable to match the final surge, held firm through the final stages and crossed the line with a strong finish in silver at 7:41.75. Serbian Elzan Bibic completed the podium with a time of 7:44.03.
Mechaal’s silver was the culmination of a strong winter season, including a national indoor record in the 1,500 meters with a time of 3:33.28 recorded in Madrid, where he also claimed the 3,000-meter title in the indoor Championships held in Birmingham.