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| August 10, 2006 | Thursday | Rajab 14, 1427 |
Kluft treats home fans to emotional Euro gold
GOTHENBURG, Aug 9: They came, they saw and Carolina Kluft conquered at the European championships on Tuesday.
The expectant crowd of over 30,000 got to their feet as Sweden's darling destroyed the opposition and retained her European title by finishing the seven-discipline event 317 points ahead of Dutchwoman Karin Ruckstuhl.
Wrapped in the Swedish flag, the beaming 23-year-old then took the traditional lap of honour with the rest of the field, egging the ecstatic crowd on to cheer and clap louder.
The stadium was still packed after competition had ended for the day as her fans waited to see Kluft step onto the podium, where she burst into tears as the national anthem played.
Portugal's Francis Obikwelu proved his right to be called European 100 metres champion with victory in a final that included 2002 winner Dwain Chambers, who was stripped of that title for doping with the gold going to the Portuguese.
Obikwelu recovered from a slow start to win in a championship record 9.99 seconds, raising his arms aloft as he crossed the line.
Chambers, finding life in the fast lane hard, finished seventh in 10.24.
Italian Andrew Howe won the long jump with 8.20 metres.
Germany's Jan Fitschen kicked in the final 150 metres to deny Spaniards Jose Manuel Martinez and Juan Carlos de la Ossa victory in the men's 10,000 metres final.
Russian world record holder Tatyana Lysenko twice broke the championship best she set in qualifying on Monday to win the hammer title with a throw of 76.67 metres.
Results of finals on Tuesday:
Men’s 100 metres: 1. Francis Obikwelu (Portugal) 9.99 seconds; 2. Andrey Yepishin (Russia) 10.10; 3. Matic Osovnikar (Slovenia) 10.14; 4. Ronald Pognon (France) 10.16; 5. Mark Lewis-Francis (Britain) 10.16; 6. Dariusz Kuc (Poland) 10.21; 7. Dwain Chambers (Britain) 10.24; 8. Ronny Ostwald (Germany) 10.38.
Men's long jump: 1. Andrew Howe (Italy) 8.20 metres; 2. Greg Rutherford (Britain) 8.13; 3. Aleksey Lukashevich (Ukraine) 8.12; 4. Viktor Kuznetsov (Ukraine) 7.96; 5. Kafetien Gomis (France) 7.93; 6. Nelson Evora (Portugal) 7.91; 7. Ruslan Gataullin (Russia) 7.91; 8. Louis Tsatoumas (Greece) 7.84; 9. Chris Tomlinson (Britain) 7.74; 10. Salim Sdiri (France) 7.69; 11. Nathan Morgan (Britain) 7.65; 12. Asterios Nousios (Greece) 7.34.
Women's hammer throw: 1. Tatyana Lysenko (Russia) 76.67 metres; 2. Gulfiya Khanafeyeva (Russia) 74.50; 3. Kamila Skolimowska (Poland) 72.58; 4. Mariya Smolyachkova (Belarus) 71.87; 5. Betty Heidler (Germany) 70.89; 6. Kathrin Klaas (Germany) 70.59; 7. Clarissa Claretti (Italy) 69.78; 8. Irina Sekachova (Ukraine) 69.08; 9. Alexandra Papayeoryiou (Greece) 67.95; 10. Natalya Zolotukhina (Ukraine) 65.30; 11. Amelie Perrin (France) 62.36.—Reuters
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