VILNIUS — Dutch hurdler Femke Bol and Norwegian middle-distance runner Jakob Ingebrigtsen clinched European Athletes of the Year for a consecutive second time at the Golden Tracks award ceremony on Saturday (21 Oct).
Both runners claimed double golds earlier this year at the Istanbul 2023 European Athletics Indoor Championships, setting the stage for exceptional outdoor seasons. How to watch the Pan American Games Live Stream?
Femke Bol shattered the world indoor 400m record with a 49.26-second sprint at the Dutch Indoor Championships in Apeldoorn, the designated venue for the 2025 European Athletics Indoor Championships. She followed this up by shaving her own European 400m hurdles record down to 51.45 seconds at the London Diamond League meeting.
Ingebrigtsen had a summer to remember, setting European records in five different distances. He notched victories in the mile and 3000m at the Diamond League final in Eugene, recording European records of 3:43.73 and 7:23.63, respectively. The Norwegian athlete also posted a world record 2000m time of 4:43.13, a global best in the two-mile of 7:54.10, and slashed his own European 1500m record to 3:27.14.
Mondo Duplantis, who set pole vault world record in 2023, was also in the race for 2023 European Athlete of the Year
Also nominated for the prestigious honor were pole vaulter Mondo Duplantis and long jumper Miltiadis Tentoglou for the men, and race walker Maria Perez and high jumper Yaroslava Mahuchikh for the women. The European Athletics Rising Star awards went to U20 standouts Angelina Topic, a high jumper, and long jumper Mattia Furlani.
The Golden Tracks ceremony, an annual extravaganza in European athletics, has been a spotlight event for up-and-coming talent as well as established stars. Bol’s and Ingebrigtsen’s repeat victories underscore the consistency and dominance they’ve displayed over the last two years, fortifying their places as icons in their respective disciplines.
