Orange Crowd Cheers TeamNL Athletes to Nine Medals

The Netherlands finished at the top of the medal table at the European Indoor Athletics Championships in Apeldoorn. With seven gold medals and two silver, this marks the highest ranking ever at an indoor championship, leaving Italy with six medals and Norway with five far behind.

Dutch Athletics Medals Overview

Gold Lieke Klaver * 400 meters
Gold Samuel Chapple * 800 meters
Gold Menno Vloon * Pole vault
Gold Jessica Schilder * Shot put
Gold 4x400m Mixed Relay Team
Gold 4x400m Men’s Relay Team
Gold  4x400m Women’s Relay Team

Silver Nadine Visser * 60m hurdles
Silver Sofie Dokter * Pentathlon

Unmatched Performances

“This weekend, we have witnessed a historic moment in Dutch athletics, even in Dutch elite sports. What has taken place in Apeldoorn over the past few days will stay with many forever. Our athletes, in absolute top form, seized the opportunity to turn the tournament on home soil into a massive orange celebration. An unprecedented success for the tournament organization, the team itself, and the audience,” said Vincent Kortbeek, Technical Director of the Athletics Union.

Pieke de Zwart, General Director of the Athletics Union, also looks back on the event with great enthusiasm: “With the outstanding organization of the European Indoor Championships 2025 in Apeldoorn, the unparalleled performances of our athletes, and an ecstatic crowd, it is once again confirmed that Dutch athletics exemplifies the ultimate sports experience.”

All Praise to Those Involved

“I am incredibly proud of the amazing organization, the dedication of the volunteers, and the phenomenal performances of the Dutch team! I received praise from all corners regarding the event’s organization. Even the president of European Athletics called this the new standard. As an athlete, I have competed in many of these tournaments, and there were always things that didn’t go smoothly, but here, almost nothing went wrong. So fantastic—huge credit to everyone involved, and hopefully, we can host such a tournament again,” said tournament director Dafne Schippers enthusiastically.

Gold for All TeamNL Relay Teams

On day one, the Dutch mixed relay team secured the first European indoor title. Nick Smidt, Eveline Saalberg, Tony van Diepen, and Femke Bol finished in 3:15.63 minutes. On the final day, two more European relay titles were added. Eugene Omalla, Nick Smidt, Isaya Klein Ikkink, and Tony van Diepen raced to victory in the men’s relay with a time of 3:04.95 minutes.

The women’s relay title had a dramatic turn. Lieke Klaver, Nina Franke, Cathelijn Peeters, and Femke Bol crossed the finish line first, only to be disqualified. However, the Netherlands successfully appealed the decision, reinstating their gold medal. Their time of 3:24.34 minutes set both a Dutch indoor record and a championship record.

Lieke Klaver (400m) and Samuel Chapple (800m) Strike Gold

On day three, Lieke Klaver claimed the 400-meter title, winning her first individual gold medal. She crossed the finish line in 50.38 seconds. On day four, Samuel Chapple delivered a phenomenal final sprint, setting a new Dutch record with a time of 1:44.88 minutes, securing gold.

In the women’s 3000-meter final, Maureen Koster, one of the medal favorites, suffered a heavy fall. Apart from a mild concussion, she is now recovering well.

More Gold on the Infield: Jessica Schilder and Menno Vloon

Dutch athletes also shined in the technical events. Jessica Schilder was crowned European champion in shot put, with all her attempts being good enough for gold. Her best throw of 20.69 meters secured the title. On the other side of the infield, Menno Vloon cleared 5.90 meters, becoming the European champion in pole vault. He shared the title with Greece’s Emmanouil Karalis, who achieved the same height.

Silver for Nadine Visser and Sofie Dokter

On day two, Nadine Visser finished second in the 60m hurdles final, earning silver. With a time of 7.72 seconds, she set a new Dutch indoor record. On the final day, Sofie Dokter secured silver in the pentathlon. She started strong with a personal best in the 60m hurdles (8.26 seconds) and also impressed in the long jump with another personal best of 6.61 meters. Her total score of 4826 points came very close to the Dutch record of 4830 points.

Royal Visit

On Sunday afternoon, the stands were not only packed with orange-clad fans, but also saw a royal guest. King Willem-Alexander attended the shot put final and cheered on both 4x400m relay teams. He then engaged in conversations with several athletes and the tournament organization.

Atletiekunie