ROME, June 12 (Reuters) - Norway's Olympic champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen won the 1,500 metres in Rome on Wednesday for a record sixth European Championship gold.

The 23-year-old charged down the final metres and was all by himself when he crossed the finish in 3:31.95, a championship record, to become the most decorated male athlete ever in the continental championship.

Belgian Jochem Vermeulen took the second spot on the podium in 3:33.30 while Italian Pietro Arese was third in 3:33.34.

"Today it's about winning. At the same time, I'm looking for answers in every single question I'm asked. Today I got a lot of good answers," he told a Norwegian broadcaster.

Ingebrigtsen is expected to form one of the most compelling rivalries of this year's Paris Olympics against Briton Josh Kerr, who denied him the gold in Budapest last year.

Ingebrigtsen hurled himself over the finish to win last month's Oslo Diamond League meet, after finishing second to Kerr over the mile race days earlier at the Prefontaine Classic.