Abitova and Bartels win first Euro-golds

By John Bagratuni Aug 7, 2006, 20:35 GMT

Russian Inga Abitova (C) crosses the finish line to win the women\'s 10,000m race of the European Athletics Championships 2006 in Gothenburg, Monday 07 August 2006. EPA/KERIM OKTEN

Gothenburg, Sweden - Inga Abitova gave Russia a perfect start to the European athletics championships by winning the women's 10,000 metres with an awesome finish on Monday.

A few minutes earlier, German Ralf Bartels stole the first title of the championships by winning the closest men's shot put Euro-final in 72 years.

Abitova, 24, ran away from her rivals with 400 metres to go and took one minute off her personal best, finishing in 30 minutes and 31.42 seconds, ahead of Norway's Susanne Wigene (30:32.36) and another Russian, Lidiya Grigoryeva (30:32.72).

'About two kilometres before the finish I started to believe I can win a medal. But it was a fight until the last metres, nothing was granted,' said Abitova, who has concentrated on the marathon in the past.

Wigene prevented a Russian sweep as Galina Bogomolova came fourth while long-time leader Lornah Kiplagat of the Netherlands faded to fifth in the last lap.

Russia have the biggest team at the championships with 118 athletes and are out to top the medal table as in 2002, where they garnered 24 medals, eight of them gold.

Bartels shocked the opposition with a last-round put of 21.13m to beat 2003 world champion Andrei Mikhnevich of Belarus (21.11m) and Joachim Olson of Denmark (21.09m).

'My victory may be close, but who cares? I knew I could beat them all because I am in excellent shape,' said Bartels, whose previous best results were third place finishes at Euro 2002 and the 2003 worlds.

With the top three separated by just four centimetres, it was the closest finish in the Euro-shot put event since the maiden edition 1934 in Turin, where Arnold Viiding of Estonia won with 15.19m ahead of Finland's Risto Kuntsi (also 15.19m) and Frantisek Douda of Czechoslovakia (15.18m).

In preliminary action, defending champion Francis Obikwelu of Portugal handily won his second-round 100 metres race in 10.28 seconds. Ronald Pognon of France posted the fastest time of the round with 10.19, while Briton Dwain Chambers only barely qualified in fourth place with 10.39 seconds.

'I only ran 80m. I controlled the race from the beginning and there was no panic,' said Obikwelu.

Chambers originally won the 2002 race but was stripped of that title over a doping offence. Chambers was running two heats in one day for the first time since 2002 as he only returned from his ban in June.

Local heroine Carolina Kluft held the overnight heptathlon lead after four events with 3,990 points ahead of the British duo of Kelly Sotherton (3,866) and Jessica Ennis (3,961) after early leader Eunice Barber of France withdrew after two events with a thigh muscle injury.

'Eunice Barber having to stop is boring for the competition. But I do my own championships. It is fantastic to run and jump in front of my home crowd,' said the world, Olympic and European champion Kluft.

Olympic champion Andreas Thorkildsen of Norway led javelin qualifying with 86.55 metres. Czech veteran Jan Zelezny, 40, a three- time world and Olympic champion also made Wednesday's final with 80.60m in his last chance to get the elusive Euro-title before retirement after the season.

'It is special to be still around. You never know. I will see tomorrow what will my body tell me. I will try and risk in the finals,' vowed Zelezny.

Italian favourite Andrew Howe topped long jump qualifying with 8.33m and French defending champion Mehdi Baala breezed into the 1,500m final.

Tuesday sees six finals: the men's 100m, 10,000m, 20km walk, long jump, the women's heptathlon and hammer throw.