Averbukh in pole repeat - Russia with four titles on day

By John Bagratuni Aug 13, 2006, 16:02 GMT

Russian Tatyana Tomashova celebrates after winning the women\'s 1500m final at the European Athletics Championships 2006 in Gothenburg, Sunday 13 August 2006. EPA/ROBERT GHEMENT

Gothenburg, Sweden - Russia-born Alex Averbukh defended his European pole vault title for Israel while Russia completed their total dominance of the championships with a four titles on the closing day Sunday.

Averbukh, who was born in Siberia before getting Israel citizenship in 1999, required just two jumps to win like he did in 2002.

The Russian winners Sunday - all on the women's side - for a Gothenburg total of 12 titles were Tatyana Tomashova in the 1,500m, Lyudmila Kolchanova in the long jump and both relays.

Stefano Baldini won the marathon, to go with his Olympic gold but without an incident which had marred the 2004 Olympic race. Bram Som claimed a surprise 800m title for the Netherlands, Jesus Espana the 5,000m for Spain and Steffi Nerius the women's javelin for Germany.

Britain finally got their first title on the final day from the men's 4x100m relay, while France took the 4x400m.

In a pole vault competition badly affected by wind and rain, Averbukh soared over 5.50m and 5.70m on his first attempt to be assured of the title he emotionally won for the first time in Munich 2002. He then failed three times on 5.80m.

German world leader Tim Lobinger and Romain Mesnil of France were tied for second place with 5.65m in a final with 20 instead of 12 jumpers because a thunderstorm put an early end to qualifying earlier in the week.

'It is great for me to repeat the win from Munich. The key was the first good attempt over 5.50m, that gave me confidence for 5.70m. It was difficult because of the weather and the number of competitors,' said Averbukh.

The Russians, meanwhile, closed their most successful Euro event in style for a final tally of 12 gold 12 silver and 10 bronze, with Germany second on 4-4-2 and Spain garnering the second most medals on 11 from a 3-3-5 finish.

Tomashova proved her 1,500m dominance when she run down compatriot Yuliya Chizhenko on the home straight to add the continental title to the 2003 and 2005 world crown in 3:56.91 minutes. Chizhenko had 3:57.61 while Daniela Yordanova denied a Russian sweep by finishing third in 3:59.37 ahead of Yelena Soboleva (4:00.36).

'All medals are important, this is my first European title. Although I am also a world champion this is special. The race went as I wanted, I was ready for any pace and any weather,' said Tomashova.

Kolchanova - the only women over 7m this year - lived up to her top billing, shocking the field with 6.89m on her first jump and winning with a third attempt 6.93m.

Naido Gomes of Portugal came second with 6.84m and Oksana Udmurtova added to Russian joy by placing third with 6.69m.

The Russian women ran away with the 4x100m relay in 42.71 seconds, with Britain a distant second in 43.51 and Belarus third on 43.61 seconds. The 4x400m saw a similar picture, with the Russian quartet untroubled in 3:25.12, with Belarus second on 3:27.69 and Poland third in 3:27.77.

Baldini, 35, shook off Swiss rival Viktor Roethlin at the 40-kilometres mark on a wet and windy afternoon to win in 2 hours 11 minutes 32 seconds. Roethlin clocked 2:11:50 while fancied Spaniard Julio Rey had to settle for third in 2:12.37 hours.

'It is my second gold, so it's a big day for me. It was perfect weather for a marathon despite the wind,' said Baldini.

Baldini won his first Euro title in 1998. At the Athens Olympics two years ago, he took the gold after the then leader Vanderlei de Lima of Brazil was pushed off the track briefly by notorious Irish priest Cornelius 'Neil' Horan in the late stages of the race.

Fancied Latvian Dmitrijs Milkevics led the 800m runners into the home stretch but Som somehow fought his way through on the inside lane to win in 1:46.56 minutes. David Fliegen got Luxembourg's first ever medal in the 72-year Euro history, second in 1:46.59, with Briton Sam Ellis third on 1:46.64 minutes.

'Sure I am surprised. This is unbelievable, but it is a great victory here,' said Som, who came fifth at the 2002 event.

Fliegen said: 'Some 20m before the finish I thought I was the winner but then Bram found a gap inside. But this is the first medal for my country, so we will have a big celebration.'

Britain finally delivered in the sprint relay, the world and Olympic champions taking the title in 38.91 seconds after recently been disqualified as 2002 winners because of a doping offence by Dwain Chambers. Poland were second in 39.05 and France third in 39.07. seconds.

'I am smiling, I am happy after all what happened over the four years,' said Chambers, who after serving a ban was part of Sunday's quartet.

The men's 4x400m went to France for the first time since 1969 in 3:01.10 minutes ahead of Britain (3:01.63) and Poland (3:01.73), while Nerius took the women's javelin with 65.82m from Czech Barbora Spotakova (65.64m) and Mercedes Chilla of Spain (61.98m).

In the 5,000m, Espana won a neck-to-neck race with Briton Mohammed Farah on the home stretch, clocking 13:44.70 minutes. Farah had 13:44.79 and Juan Carlos Higuero came third for Spain in 13:46.48.

The next championships take place in Spain in 2010.