--- title: "Nadia Battocletti wins historic 5,000m and 10,000m double in Birmingham; first to claim two consecutive European doubles" sdDatePublished: "2026-08-15T13:14:00Z" source: "https://www.olympics.com/en/news/european-athletics-championships-2026-nadia-battocletti-wins-historic-middle-distance-double" topics: - name: "sport" identifier: "medtop:15000000" locations: - "Tokyo" - "Affile" - "Birmingham" - "Île-de-France" - "Italy" - "Netherlands" - "Belgium" --- Nadia Battocletti wins historic 5,000m and 10,000m double in Birmingham; first to claim two consecutive European doubles European Athletics Championships 2026: Nadia Battocletti wins historic middle-distance double European Athletics Championships 2026: Nadia Battocletti wins historic middle-distance double A golden night for Italy was headlined by a masterful Nadia Battocletti win in the 10,000m women’s race on Friday (14 August). Nadia Battocletti ’s dream European back-to-back double is complete in Birmingham. Following up her 2026 European Athletics Championships 5000m on Tuesday (11 August), she took the 10,000m crown on Friday (14 August ) to become the first athlete ever to complete the 5,000m and 10,000m double in two consecutive European Championships . Already the only Italian woman to have three gold medals at the European Championships, she comes away from Birmingham 2026 with four, making her the first Italian to win a quartet of European gold . 2026 European Athletics Championships: Nadia Battocletti targets historic sweep after defending 5000m crown: “The double would be the dream” It was another masterclass from Italy’s middle-distance queen, who was in complete control in the event that she won Olympic and Tokyo World Championship silver in 2024 and 2025, respectively. “I’ll definitely savour the moment,” Battocletti said afterwards. “Stopping to reflect on the fact that I’ve set a record gives me great satisfaction. “Every medal and every double victory has come about in a different way. In Rome (European championships in 2024) I was a bit of an underdog, but I actually came out on top. “Then there was Paris (Olympic Games), which really cemented my status; Tokyo was almost the most important event where I managed to shine, and this seems to be a confirmation of that. “For me it’s actually a step up from Rome. Coming here as the clear favourite, I was pleased with how I handled the pressure, which, in any case, always comes solely from within myself, because I know what I’ve done and how much I’ve suffered in training.” In 2026, it’s a golden European summer; another tiara, another lap of honour at the Alexandra Stadium, and more celebrations with her supporting parents. BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND - AUGUST 14: Gold medallist, Nadia Battocletti of Team Italy, acknowledges the crowd during the medal ceremony for the Women's 10,000m Final on day five of the 27th European Athletics Championships at Alexander Stadium on August 14, 2026 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Maja Hitij Getty Images for European Athletics) Battocletti: “The secret is patience” After her 5000m win was inspired by her father, Giuliano, the second gold was once again influenced by his words. “The race went just as my dad had imagined in terms of pace,” she explained. “The other girls got ahead of me, and they were the ones setting the pace changes. “ The secret to a 10,000 is patience ; you must never let yourself get flustered and just let things run their course. There’s always time to catch up and close the gaps. Today there was actually plenty of time. “Dad really deserved the gold crown tonight.” A neat trio of the Italian, Maureen Koster of the Netherlands, and Jana van Lent of Belgium looked close at the front for much of the race. It was suddenly split when Battocletti decided with 300m to go that her time, her moment, was to begin. Unleashing an unrivalled sprint finish, she crossed the line four seconds in front of Koster, with a season’s best time of 31:41.17. “It was a bit of a scramble,” Battocletti reflects. “I wanted to break away earlier, but there was actually a bit of a breeze and the girls weren’t running very consistently. “At one point I just said ‘enough;’ there’s too much chaos and I’ve got to go . “Now this year I need to recharge my batteries because next year will be as long as last year, and in two years’ time there are the Olympics.” Getty Images for European Athletics Athletics | European Championships | Birmingham | United Kingdom