When Stefan Nillessen got out of bed on Saturday morning, winning a gold medal was the furthest thing from his mind; hoping for a sneaky silver or bronze was about as ambitious as his thoughts dared to go. Yet, as the Dutch athlete proved at the Birmingham 2026 European Athletics Championships, what you sometimes feel while getting out of bed can turn the complete opposite by nightfall, delivering the biggest title of his career in the men’s 1500m.
For much of the race, Nillessen kept a close watch on proceedings while sitting largely in the middle of the pack, alongside world champion Isaac Nader and former world champion Jake Wightman, as Norway’s Narve Gilje Nordås led the early pace. With every athlete still in contention as the bell sounded, Britain’s Jake Heyward and Wightman seized the initiative down the back straight. It looked all set for a British one-two as Wightman rounded Heyward into the finishing straight, but the chasing pack had other plans. Nillessen timed his move to perfection, sweeping through to take control before Ireland’s Andrew Coscoran followed him past the fading British pair, only for Sweden’s Samuel Pihlström to surge from the back of the field with a breathtaking late burst. Nillessen crossed the line in 3:35.70 to claim gold, with Pihlström snatching surprise silver in 3:36.16 and Coscoran taking bronze in 3:36.24.
Reflecting on his fairytale triumph, an ecstatic Nillessen admitted that this smile won’t go off his face for a long time, noting that he even surprised himself with that sprint finish. Meanwhile, Pihlström confessed he was completely overwhelmed after coming from almost dead last with a lap to go to secure second, and Coscoran celebrated a brilliant tactical race that played right into his hands to deliver a historic moment for Ireland