Ingebrigtsen wins 5,000m European gold in Birmingham after Achilles surgery
Jakob Ingebrigtsen won the men's 5,000 metres at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham on 10 August 2026, producing a late surge to claim gold after almost a year away from competition.
The 25-year-old had Achilles surgery in January and only returned to training six weeks before the race, having last competed 324 days earlier. His previous competitive appearance was at the World Championships in Tokyo last September, where he finished 10th in the 5,000m final; he had entered Tokyo as the two-time defending champion despite an Achilles issue that kept him out of the outdoor season.
Ingebrigtsen clocked 13 minutes 15.29 seconds to take victory, overcoming a slow start and moving through the field in the closing stages. He appeared to be held up behind France's Jimmy Gressier on the final lap but managed to force a way past before producing a sprint finish to secure the win.
Reflecting on the finish, Ingebrigtsen told BBC Sport: "With 600m to go, I knew I was going to win. I was just hoping I was not going to get too tired." He added: "I doubted myself every day and every minute leading up to the last lap, but I am always hoping." He also said: "Coming from the lowest of lows to be European champion again means the world to me. Not even I believed it could happen coming here."
When announcing his return to the championships in Birmingham, Ingebrigtsen had written: "If you're waiting for the perfect preparation, perfect conditions, perfect timing, you'll be waiting your whole life." He and his team concluded there was "no reason not to race," indicating he judged himself fit to compete despite limited preparation.
Former marathon world record holder Paula Radcliffe commented on BBC TV: "a textbook example of how not to run in your comeback race." She added: "I can't put into words how hard it is for Jakob to come back after that surgery he has had," and said: "You cannot write off that man."
A two-time Olympic and world champion, Ingebrigtsen remains unbeaten at the European Athletics Championships in his career, having won each of the last four men's 5,000m titles. Since 2019 he has taken gold in his past 12 European track finals, his only defeat in a European track final coming when he took indoor 1500m silver in 2019.
The victory equalled the championships record for most European gold medals, giving Ingebrigtsen a seventh continental title and moving him level with Croatian discus thrower Sandra Elkasevic.
