Greece's Periklis Iakovakis holds the Greek flag after winning the gold medal in the men's 400m hurdles at the European athletics championships in Gothenburg yesterday. Iakovakis won in 48.46 seconds. - Reuters
GOTHENBURG, sweden (Reuters)
Portugal's Francis Obikwelu braved miserable weather to become the first man since Italian Pietro Mennea in 1978 to win both sprints at the same European championships yesterday.
The elegant Nigeria-born runner added the 200 metres gold medal to the 100 metres title he had collected on Tuesday and did it in style, destroying the field to win in 20.01 seconds.
His time on a damp, windy evening in this harbour city was the best by any European this year and his fastest since the 27-year-old became eligible to compete for Portugal four years ago.
"I did not have a single doubt that I was going to be the winner," said Obikwelu, who was born the year Mennea made history by claiming both sprints at the Prague championships.
"This gold medal is more important and more precious to me than the one for the 100 metres," he added.
The crowd at the Ullevi stadium cheered wildly, not only to salute Obikwelu's remarkable feat but also because local favourite Johan Wissman smashed his season's best to take the silver in 20.38.
Britain's Marlon Devonish completed the podium in 20.58, winning the bronze again after finishing third at the previous European championships four years ago in Munich.
Rain disrupted the start of the decathlon but did not stop Roman Sebrle, the champion and world record holder, from building a 161-point lead over Russia's Aleksey Sisoyev halfway through.
"The conditions were very difficult so I should be satisfied", said Sebrle, whose total of 4,420 points after five events was relatively modest by his high standards.
"In rain all dreams about any points are lost," he explained. "The title is now the most important thing."
Bulgaria's Vanya Stambolova won the women's 400 metres final, catching Russia's Olga Zaytseva off the final bend to win in 49.85 seconds.
Russia's Tatyana Veshkurova sprinted for the silver in 50.15 seconds, Zaytseva running out of steam in the final straight to settle for the bronze in 50.28 seconds.
LATE CHALLENGE
Overwhelming favourite Periklis Iakovakis of Greece won the men's 400 metres hurdles final, resisting a late challenge from Poland's Marek Plawgo.
Iakovakis, who has run over a second faster than anyone else in the field this year, clocked a winning time of 48.46 with Plawgo taking the silver in 48.71 and Briton Rhys Williams claiming bronze in 49.12.
Russia, as expected, dominated the women's 800 metres, Olga Kotlyarova outsprinting Svetlana Klyuka to win in 1:57.38.
Klyuka, who was still in the lead 20 metres from the line, took the silver in 1:57.48 with British champion Rebecca Lyne com-pleting the podium in 1:58.45.
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