Double gold
July 30, 2010
Germany earned its first gold medals at the European Athletics Championships in Barcelona on Thursday, with a photo finish in the women's 100 meters and a surprise victory in javelin.
In the 100 meters, sprinter Verena Sailer had a late rally to win with a time of 11.10 seconds, just edging out France's Veronique Mang. Another French sprinter, Myriam Soumare, took the bronze.
"It is amazing to think that I am European champion. It was an incredible race and I am still coming to terms with it," said Sailer. Earlier this year, she also won the German national championships.
Alena Neumiarzhytskaya of Belarus, Europe's fastest woman this season, was knocked out in the first round of qualifying in a surprise elimination.
Germany's first gold of the competition came earlier in the evening, as Linda Stahl overtook the Czech world record holder Barbora Spotakova with a personal best of 66.81 meters on her penultimate throw to snag the javelin gold.
Her German teammate Christina Obergfoell won silver with a throw of 65.58 meters, meaning Spotakova, an Olympic champion who has yet to win a European title, had to settle for third.
Author: Martin Kuebler (AFP/Reuters)
Editor: Chuck Penfold