Obikwelu in sprint double
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ByEurosport
Published 10/08/2006 at 19:33 GMT
Francis Obikwelu completed a European sprint double for the first time since 1978 on Thursday with a gold medal in the 200m. Obikwelu, who set the fastest European time of the year to retain his 100m title, won in 20.01s. Johan Wissman of Sweden was secon
ATHLETICS 2006 European Champs Obikwelu
Image credit: dpa
"I have been waiting for this gold medal for four years and now I am even the double European champion," said Obikwelu after the race.
"The whole stadium was cheering for Johan Wissman and this helped me," said Obikwelu. "I did not have a single doubt that I was going to be today's winner".
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ATHLETICS 2006 European Champs 200m Wissman
Image credit: Reuters
Local boy Wissman threatened to steal the limelight, the previously unheralded Swede smashing the national record with a 20.38s run in the semis, equalling that in the final.
Marlon Devonish picked up a third track bronze for Great Britain with a strong run in 20.55.
Obikwelu was beaten into second place at the 2002 championships by Greek Costas Kenteris, who is now suspended for missing drugs tests, and was retrospectively awarded the 100m gold for those championships after Dwayne Chanbers' admission to using THG.
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ATHLETICS 2006 European Champs 200m Obikwelu
Image credit: Reuters
Italian Pietro Mennea was the last person to win a European sprint double, at the 1978 Prague championships
BRITS GET THREE
Prior to Devonish winning 200m bronze, Great Britain picked up their first two track medals of the Championships after the disappointment of their 100m and 400m runners.
Rhys Williams beat off France's Naman Keita to hold onto bronze in the 400m hurdles, won in style and as expected by Greece's European number one Perilikis Iakovakis. Marek Plawgo of Poland took silver.
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ATHLETICS 2006 European Champs 400m hurdles Williams
Image credit: Reuters
Rebecca Lyne became the second Brit to win a track medal after impressively fighting back after some final-bend jostling in the women's 800m, a Russian one-two of Olga Kotlyarova and Svetlana Klyuka taking gold and silver in one of the fasest races this season.
DINIZ IN WATERY GLORY
Earlier in the day, Yohan Diniz won a the 50-km walk in torrential downpours on Thurday, finishing in a new French national record.
Diniz clocked a personal best of 3:41:39 for France's third gold of the champoinships.
The 28-year-old was over a minute ahead of Spain's Jesus Angel Garcia. Russia's Yuriy Andronov was third.
Diniz's victory follows on from Mehdi Baala's successful defence of his 1500m title and Marc Raquil's thrilling 400m win on Wednesday for the French.
"At the beginning I let all the others exhaust themselves and stayed quite calm behind," said Diniz, who was disqualified from the event at last year's world championships.
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ATHLETICS 2006 European Champs Men's 50Km walk final Yohan Diniz
Image credit: Imago
"Then, after the 30th kilometre, I still felt very strong so I accelerated. The thunderstorm may have destabilised the others, for me it was a welcome refreshment."
WASH OUT
The weather caused slightly more disruption to other events. Eighteen pole vaulters will contest the men's final on Sunday instead of the usual 12.
It was a decision welcomed by Germany's double European medallist Tim Lobinger.
"Very wise decision by the competition management to allow 18 jumpers into the final. I think that was the best solution," he told reporters.
IN BRIEF
World record holder Roman Sebrle (CZE) finished day one of the decathlon with a good lead after impressive high jump and 400m...
Home favourite Christian Olsson was speedy in qualifying for the men's triple jump final with a first round jump of 17.51m. He will be joined by British hope Phillips Idowu, who also cleared 17m...
World leader Wioletta Janowska of Poland advanced to the final of the women's3,000m steeplechase after finishing second in her heat in nine minutes and 37.39 seconds.
Belarus national champion Alesia Turava, also a medal hope in the event which has been included for the first time for women at the Europeans, headed qualifying with 9:37.01.
Five-times world champion Lars Riedel made it through to Saturday's final of the men's discus. The 39-year-old German's throw of 63.36 metres was just under the automatic qualifying distance but only five men surpassed the required mark of 63.50.
Britain's Michael Rimmer was quickest in the first round of the men's 800 metres in 1:47.10.
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