Britain's Richard Kilty wins 60m gold as controversy mars final
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ByEurosport
Updated 08/03/2015 at 20:12 GMT
Richard Kilty stormed to victory in the men's 60m final in Prague with a superb run - but the race was overshadowed by a disqualification before the start.
Richard Kilty en route to the European Indoor gold at 60m in Prague
Image credit: Imago
Kilty's run of 6.51 seconds in Prague was 0.07 better than Germany's silver medal winner Christian Blum, with Julian Reus coming third.
But fans were denied the chance of witnessing an all-British tussle for the gold as Kilty's team-mate Chijindu Ujah was disqualified for a false start.
It seemed a very harsh decision on Ujah, with several athletes having twitched significantly in their blocks before he appeared to move - yet the officials had no hesitation in showing him the red card.
"I felt the guy next to me twitched. I've never false started in my life. For that to happen here, I'm gutted," said the 21-year-old Ujah.
Kilty would have been pushed hard by Ujah, but was still favourite to add European gold to the World Indoor Championship gold he won in Birmingham last year.
"I had a difficult summer and there was a lot of pressure coming into this for me. It's an absolute honour, I'm on top of the world," the 25-year-old told the BBC.
"I've been through tough circumstances in my life, it shows whatever background you're from you can make it. Anything is possible."
Britain came close to more gold medals in the women's 60m and women's 4x400m relay, but were edged out by France in the relay while Dina Asher-Smith lost narrowly to Dafne Schippers.
Asher-Smith was nonetheless delighted to become the first British woman to claim a medal in the event for 30 years as she equalled the British record.
"I was looking at the screen, begging that I'd grabbed a medal spot. I had no idea what was going on but I got a silver so I'm over the moon. The time is a bonus," she said.
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