Melissa Courtney-Bryant showed remarkable composure and resilience during the 3,000m final at the European Indoor Championships, securing a hard-fought silver medal amid a shocking incident involving Dutch athlete Maureen Koster.
Early in the race, Courtney-Bryant heard a scream and realized something had gone terribly wrong. Koster had fallen and hit her head, rendering her unconscious on the track. Officials rushed in to remove her, creating a tense and unsettling atmosphere for the competitors. The race continued despite the dramatic moment, with the British athlete focusing on maintaining her pace and avoiding further chaos.
The incident appeared to have been caused by Koster clipping the heels of Hannah Nuttall. Nuttall later recalled hearing a sound behind her before the distressing scream that followed. The BBC, which was broadcasting the event, initially missed the fall while covering the women’s high jump, but commentators quickly acknowledged the severity of the situation.
As Koster was taken to the hospital, the remaining athletes pushed forward. Courtney-Bryant stayed in contention alongside Nuttall and rising British star Innes FitzGerald. In the final stages, she surged ahead, only to be overtaken in the last moments by Ireland’s Sarah Healy, who clinched gold in 8:52.86. Courtney-Bryant finished just six-hundredths of a second behind, earning her third European Indoor medal after bronzes in 2019 and 2023. Portugal’s Salomé Afonso took bronze, with Nuttall placing sixth and FitzGerald finishing a commendable eighth in her senior debut.
Reflecting on her performance, Courtney-Bryant admitted she believed she could win but was ultimately satisfied with silver. She described the closing moments of the race as a blur, feeling as though her legs were giving out just as Healy passed her. Despite the disappointment of missing out on gold, she took pride in her continued progress on the European stage.
The incident with Koster dominated post-race discussions, but there was relief later in the evening when reports confirmed that she was “conscious and responsive.”
Elsewhere in the championships, Britain secured two more silver medals. In the men’s 3,000m final, George Mills delivered a determined performance but was unable to match the finishing power of Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen, who stormed to his seventh European Indoor title at just 24 years old. Mills finished a little over a second behind and expressed satisfaction with his result, acknowledging the strength of the competition.
The British women’s 4x400m relay team also claimed silver in a dramatic final. The quartet of Lina Nielsen, Hannah Kelly, Emily Newnham, and Amber Anning put in a strong performance, with Anning holding her own on the anchor leg against Dutch star Femke Bol. However, Bol proved too strong, leading the Netherlands to victory in a European Indoor record of 3:24.34. The British team crossed the line in a national record of 3:24.89.
Controversy followed as the Dutch team was initially disqualified for an obstruction during the final changeover. A lengthy review process, including an appeal and counter-appeal, ultimately led to the reinstatement of their victory after it was revealed that a race official’s error had caused the confusion. While the British team had momentarily believed they had won gold, they accepted the final decision with grace.
Overall, Britain ended the championships in eighth place on the medal table, securing seven medals in total.
