Queen Máxima and King Willem-Alexander are celebrating a historic achievement for their country.
Following the conclusion of the 2026 European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, the Dutch King and Queen shared a special message recognizing Team Netherlands after the athletes delivered the country’s best-ever performance at the competition.
“What an unprecedented performance by TeamNL Athletics during the 2026 European Athletics Championships!” the royal couple said in a message shared by the Dutch Royal House on Sunday, August 16.
The Netherlands ended the championships with a record 14 medals, five gold, three silver and six bronze, marking the nation’s largest medal haul in European Athletics Championships history.
© ERIC LALMANDThe results placed the Netherlands fourth in the medal table behind Italy, Great Britain and Germany.
A record-breaking week for the Netherlands:
In their message, Willem-Alexander and Máxima singled out several of the athletes responsible for the remarkable showing, including Jessica Schilder, Jorinde van Klinken, Nadine Visser and Stefan Nillessen.
© Sam Mellish“From the strength and precision of Jessica Schilder and Jorinde van Klinken, to the speed of Nadine Visser and the surprising golden race of Stefan Nillessen, the Dutch athletes have shown all of Europe what they are capable of,” the King and Queen said.
Nillessen produced one of the week’s standout surprises when he captured the men’s 1,500-meter European title on August 15. The 23-year-old surged through the field in the closing stages to win in 3:35.70, securing the biggest senior title of his career.
© Patrick van KatwijkVisser, meanwhile, claimed gold in an extraordinarily close women’s 100-meter hurdles final, while Schilder successfully defended her European shot put title. Van Klinken added another gold for the Netherlands in the discus.
A golden finish:
The Dutch team’s historic championships received one final boost on Sunday when the women’s 4×400-meter relay team raced to gold. The victory marked the Netherlands’ third consecutive European title in the event and its fifth gold medal of the championships.
© Sam Mellish“The crowning glory was the brilliant gold of the women in the 4×400-meter relay, once again proving that TeamNL belongs among the absolute best in the world,” Willem-Alexander and Máxima said, before concluding, “Congratulations!”
The royal couple’s celebratory message came after seven days of competition in Birmingham, where some of Europe’s biggest track and field stars competed from August 10 through 16.
For the Netherlands, however, the championships ended with a new national benchmark. 14 medals and its most successful European Athletics Championships ever.
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