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Farah, Ennis lead Britain's golden European night
Mo Farah and Jessica Ennis led Britain's golden night at the European Championships by claiming victories in the men's 5 000m and women's heptathlon on Saturday.
Farah made up for a 0.09-second defeat to Jesus Espana four years ago with a commanding performance that secured him the distance double alongside his 10 000m gold medal.
Farah's time of 13 minutes, 31.18 seconds at Barcelona's Olympic Stadium was 1.92 seconds better than the Spaniard, who settled for silver ahead of Azerbaijan's Hayle Ibrahimov. Farah wept in joy over his achievement.
"I had that in my mind," Farah said of his contest with Espana in 2006 as they veered into the final bend. "I was checking on the big screen how far behind he was, on the last lap I was thinking 'dig in, dig in."'
Ennis, meanwhile, set a new European record of 6,823 points to add a European title to her world heptathlon one.
Ennis, holding an 18-point lead over Olympic champion Nataliya Dobrynska, finished in front of the Ukrainian in the closing 800m event to secure gold.
"With everyone doing so well and us winning so many medals I kind of thought 'I don't want to let anyone down really,"' Ennis said. "I was so glad to win, especially (...) the way that I won it, which was mainly to prove that I really am the world No. 1."
She passed Carolina Kluft's total of 6,740 from 2006 with a season-best run in the two-lap race.
Britain's night didn't end there as David Greene and Rhys Williams led a 1-2 in the 400m hurdles.
France's Myriam Soumaire denied Russia's women another gold medal by securing a 200m win in a European season's best time of 22.32 seconds.
"I cannot believe what happened - the last meters was crazy," said 100 bronze winner Soumaire. "I was afraid of the Russian athletes because they are the favourites."
Moments after teammate and 100m silver medalist Veronique Mang was disqualified for a false start, Soumaire surged to the front of the field from the outside lane.
Ukraine's Yelizaveta Bryzhina took silver as the top two passed Aleksandra Fedoriva just as the Russian seemed set for gold when she led coming out of the bend. Russian women had won five medals on Friday night.
While Russia were held off the top of the podium on Saturday, they still lead with eight golds and 21 overall. Britain have six golds as do France after Renaud Lavillenie won the pole vault with a leap of 5.85m. Andreas Thorkildsen of Norway won his second straight javelin gold to go with Olympic and world titles.
The Norwegian coolly shrugged off the challenge of Matthias De Zordo of Germany to win with a throw of 88.37 meters, then carried championship mascot 'Barni' upside down during his victory lap in celebration.
Poland also picked up its first gold thanks to Marcin Lewandowski's 800 win, and Turkey, too, earned its first victory as Nevin Yanit led from the gun to win the 100 hurdles in 12.63 seconds.
"I cannot believe what happened," said Yanit, who received a congratulatory call from Turkey Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan after the emotional win. "This performance is amazing."
Belarus' Andrei Mikhnevich edged Olympic champion Tomasz Majewski of Poland and defending champion Ralf Bartels of Germany for shot put gold.
"After some difficult seasons I'm back where I want to be," said former world champion Mikhnevich, whose second throw of 21.01m edged Majewski's by one centimetre.
Zivile Balciunaite of Lithuania won the women's marathon while 50-year-old Merlene Ottey made history as the oldest athlete to compete at the event when she ran in the 4x100 women's relay.
Ottey, a naturalised Slovenian of Jamaican origin, surpassed the age record held by 47-year-old French marathon runner Nicole Brakebusch-Leveque. But Slovenia failed to get out of the heats, led by Russia.
"It's right up there with all the medals I have won," said Ottey, who has won 29 medals in major competitions, including seven Olympic Games, with a bronze here in Barcelona in 1992. "It didn't cross my mind (at 40) that I would still be running now. I thought I would retire."
France advanced to the men's 4x100 relay final on Sunday despite Christophe Lemaitre, who won the 100 and 200 dashes, sitting out qualifying.
RESULTS:
Men
800m
Final:
1. Marcin Lewandowski (POL) 1:47.07
2. Michael Rimmer (GBR) 1:47.17
3. Adam Kszczot (POL) 1:47.22
4. Arnoud Okken (NED) 1:47.31
5. Jakub Holusa (CZE) 1:47.45
6. Kevin Lopez (ESP) 1:47.82
7. Luis Alberto Marco (ESP) 1:48.42
8. Hamid Oualich (FRA) 1:49.77
5000m
Final:
1. Mo Farah (GBR) 13:31.18
2. Jesus España (ESP) 13:33.12
3. Hayle Ibrahimov (AZE) 13:34.15
4. Serhiy Lebid (UKR) 13:38.69
5. Noureddine Smail (FRA) 13:38.70
6. Daniele Meucci (ITA) 13:40.17
7. Alemayehu Bezabeh (ESP) 13:43.23
8. Chris Thompson (GBR) 13:44.42
400m hurdles
Final:
1. Dai Greene (GBR) 48.12
2. Rhys Williams (GBR) 48.96
3. Stanislav Melnykov (UKR) 49.09
4. Heni Kechi (FRA) 49.34
5. Periklis Iakovakis (GRE) 49.38
6. Josef Prorok (CZE) 49.68
7. Aleksandr Derevyagin (RUS) 49.70
8. Fadil Bellaabouss (FRA) 1:02.94
Polevault
Final:
1. Renaud Lavillenie (FRA) 5.85 m
2. Maksym Mazuryk (UKR) 5.80
3. Przemyslaw Czerwinski (POL) 5.75
4. Giuseppe Gibilisco (ITA) 5.75
5. Damiel Dossévi (FRA) 5.70
6. Fabian Schulze (GER) 5.70
7. Lukasz Michalski (POL) 5.65
8. Romain Mesnil (FRA) 5.60
Shot
Final:
1. Andrei Mikhnevich (BLR) 21.01 m
2. Tomasz Majewski (POL) 21.00
3. Ralf Bartels (GER) 20.93
4. Maris Urtans (LAT) 20.72
5. David Storl (GER) 20.57
6. Nedzad Mulabegovic (CRO) 20.56
7. Pavel Lyzhyn (BLR) 20.11
8. Antonin Zalsky (CZE) 20.01
Javelin
Final:
1. Andreas Thorkildsen (NOR) 88.37 m
2. Matthias de Zordo (GER) 87.81
3. Tero Pitkamaki (FIN) 86.67
4. Oleksandr Pyantnytsya (UKR) 82.01
5. Teemu Wirkkala (FIN) 81.76
6. Ainars Kovals (LAT) 81.19
7. Sergey Makarov (RUS) 80.86
8. Roman Avramenko (UKR) 79.52
Women
200m
Final (wind + 0.1 m/s):
1. Myriam Soumare (FRA) 22.32
2. Yelizaveta Bryzhina (UKR) 22.44
3. Aleksandra Fedoriva (RUS) 22.44
4. Anastasiya Kapachinskaya (RUS) 22.47
5. Lina Jacques-Sebastien (FRA) 22.59
6. Eleni Artymata (CYP) 22.61
7. Yuliya Chermoshanskaya (RUS) 22.67
Final (wind - 0.5 m/s):
1. Nevin Yanit (TUR) 12.63
2. Derval O'Rourke (IRL) 12.65
3. Carolin Nytra (GER) 12.68
4. Christina Vukicevic (NOR) 12.78
5. Yevheniya Snihur (UKR) 12.92
6. Tatyana Dektyareva (RUS) 12.98
7. Lisa Urech (SUI) 13.02
8. Nadine Hildebrand (GER) 13.08
Triple jump
Final:
1. Olha Saladuha (UKR) 14.81 m
2. Simona La Mantia (ITA) 14.56
3. Svetlana Bolshakova (BEL) 14.55
4. Nadezhda Alekhina (RUS) 14.45
5. Adelina Gavrila (ROU) 14.33
6. Snezana Rodic (SLO) 14.32
7. Dana Veldakova (SVK) 14.16
8. Patrícia Mamona (POR) 14.07
Heptathlon
Final standings:
1. Jessica Ennis (GBR) 6823 pts
2. Nataliya Dobrynska (UKR) 6778
3. Jennifer Oeser (GER) 6683
4. Tatiana Chernova (RUS) 6512
5. Karolina Tyminska (POL) 6230
6. Lyudmyla Yosypenko (UKR) 6206
7. Eliska Klucinova (CZE) 6187
8. Marina Goncharova (RUS) 6186
