Silnov wins High Jump gold

ByEurosport

Published 09/08/2006 at 14:58 GMT

Andrey Silnov of Russia won the men's European High Jump title from Tomas Janku (CZE) and home favourite and Olympic Champion Stefan Holm (SWE) in an exciting contest in Gothenburg. Silnov jumped a Championship record, 2006 world-leading 2.36.

ATHLETICS 2006 European Champs Silnov

Image credit: Imago

Holm had huge backing from the crowd, as did fellow Swede Linus Thornblad.

Holm (left) led an amazing competition most of the way as virtually none of the top five, including Yaroslav Rybakov of Russia, recorded a failure into the thirties.

ATHLETICS 2006 European Champs Highjump Holm

Image credit: Imago

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Holm eventually knocked off the bar at 2.34, as did all his rivals except Silnov. "I didn't think he was going to jump that high," Holm said of Silnov.

"He might have had the night of his life, he might never do 2.32 or 2.34 again. But winning the European championships in 2.36, he made an incredible performance.

"If he stays physically fit, he'll probably be up there competing with the best for maybe the next 10 years."

The giant Russian went straight for 2.41 once guaranteed victory - which would have been a massive nine centimetres above his PB - but couldn't quite get over.

"This is my best competition for sure but next time I will clear 2.41," he said with a wry smile.

BAALA TEARS

Frenchman Mehdi Baala waited until the final lap to spring away from the field and defend his European 1500m crown in Gothenburg.

The 27-year-old left Ukraine's Ivan Heshko and Spaniard Juan Carlos Higuero behind as he won in 3:39.02.

Heshko eclipsed Higuero at the bend to add silver to his world indoor crown.

Baala knelt on the ground at the end draped in a French Tricolore, and was in tears both on the victory lap and later on the podium.

SPRINT DOUBLE

Belgian Kim Gevaert won the first half of a potentially explosive European double with victory in the 100m.

Gevaert (left)  who also hopes to win the 200 title on Friday  left her rivals far behind as she came home in 11.06s, to better the silver she won four years ago.

2006 ATHLETICS Kim Gevaert

Image credit: Imago

"I feel great, it's so wonderful to have it go as planned," she said afterwards. "Everything I dreamed about just came together. I've worked so hard this year.

"I knew I had to do a big start and that gave me the wings to just keep on going as I thought, 'They're coming, they're coming,' and I was so happy to be the first across the line."

Russian Yekaterina Grigoryeva ran a season's best 11.22 to take silver with compatriot Irina Khabarova third in the same time.

RAGGED RAQUIL

Marc Raquil (below right, with Baala) produced a desperate surge for the line to snatch the European 400m title.

The Frenchman - considered favourite alongside countryman Leslie Djhone prior to the race - closed down Russian Vladislav Frolov over the last 50m with a ragged run to win in 45.02s.

Frolov settled for silver and a personal best of 45.09 while Djhone taking bronze.

ISAKOVA HEROICS

Russian Yevgeniya Isakova bore down on Olympic champion Fani Halkia to win her first gold over 400m hurdles.

The 27-year-old drove hard off the final hurdle to out-sprint her Greek rival and claim victory in a personal best time of 53.93 seconds.

Halkia - not at her best this season - took silver with Ukraine's Tetyana Antipova-Tereshchuk winning bronze.

LEBEDEVA SNATCHES VICTORY

Russian Tatyana Lebedeva (right) overtook Hrisopiyi Devetzi with her final jump to take Triple Jump gold and set a Championship Record in the process.

ATHLETICS 2006 European Champs Lebedeva

Image credit: Eurosport

Devetzi herself set a championship record of 15.05m in the first round only to see Lebedeva reach 15.15m in dramatic fashion.

Russian Anna Pyatykh won bronze with a PB 15.02m, also set in the final round of the competition.

Lebedeva adds the European gold to her Olympic long jump crown. "It was a great fight and a great day for me," she said. "I decided to risk my last jump and said to myself 'I do not care whether it was better or not'.

"I now have the full collection of medals so it is a special gold."

JAVELIN LEGEND TAKES BRONZE

Three-times Olympic and world champion Jan Zelezny failed to roll back the years at the Ullevi stadium where he won world championship gold 11 years ago.

He opened with a huge throw of 85.92 metres but did not record another distance and was overtaken by Andreas Thorkildsen (right)  who won gold for Norway with throws of 87.37 and 88.78 - and Tero Pitkamaki of Finland, who managed 86.44.

ATHLETICS 2006 Thorkildsen

Image credit: Imago

"I risked all in the first throw and these tactics paid off," Zelezny (below left) said.

"I feel very tired but also happy, because some people did not trust me but I showed them that despite my age I can still throw with the younger boys.

ATHLETICS 2006 European Championships - Gothenberg Jan Zelezny

Image credit: Imago

"I competed for the first time at a European championships when I just 20 years old and I finished 17th. Now I am much better than 20 years ago."

The 40-year-old Czech world record holder - who will retire later this year and be remembered as the greatest javelin thrower in history - has surprisingly never finished higher than third in the European championships.

TURAVA ECLIPSES RIVALS

Belarussian Ryta Turava (below) lived up to her favourite tag by claiming gold in the 20km walk.

The 25-year-old was first into the Ullevi stadium and crossed the line in one hour 27.08 minutes.

ATHLETICS 2006 European Champs Women's 20Km walk final RYTA TURAVA BELARUS

Image credit: dpa

Olga Kaniskina - world number one - came home nearly a minute and a half later to take silver, the second time she had been beaten by Turava this season.

Italian Elisa Rigaudo took bronze in a season's best 1:28.37.

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