August 12, 2006	Saturday	Rajab 16, 1427

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GOTHENBURG, Aug 11: Portugal's Francis Obikwelu braved miserable weather to become the first man since Italian Pietro Mennea in 1978 to win both sprints at the same European athletics championships on Thursday.

The elegant Nigeria-born runner added the 200 metres gold medal to the 100 metres title he had collected on Tuesday and did it in style, destroying the field to win in 20.01 seconds.

His time on a damp, windy evening in this harbour city was the best by any European this year and his fastest since the 27-year-old became eligible to compete for Portugal four years ago.

The crowd at the Ullevi stadium cheered wildly, not only to salute Obikwelu's remarkable feat but also because local favourite Johan Wissman smashed his season's best to take the silver in 20.38.

Britain's Marlon Devonish completed the podium in 20.58, winning the bronze again after finishing third at the previous European championships four years ago in Munich.

Obikwelu, who won the continental 100 metres crown in 2002 after Briton Dwain Chambers was stripped of the title for a doping offence, was in a class of his own in both sprints here.

The day's other achievements looked pale by comparison, partly because rain and wind ruined the prospect of any top performance until the skies cleared slightly in the evening to let Obikwelu shine.

Rain disrupted the start of the decathlon but did not stop Roman Sebrle, the champion and world record holder, from building a 161-point lead over Russia's Aleksey Sisoyev halfway through.

Bulgaria's Vanya Stambolova won the women's 400 metres final, catching Russia's Olga Zaytseva off the final bend to win in 49.85 seconds.

Russia's Tatyana Veshkurova sprinted for the silver in 50.15 seconds, Zaytseva running out of steam in the final straight to settle for the bronze in 50.28 seconds.

Overwhelming favourite Periklis Iakovakis of Greece won the men's 400 metres hurdles final, resisting a late challenge from Poland's Marek Plawgo.

Iakovakis, who has run over a second faster than anyone else in the field this year, clocked a winning time of 48.46 with Plawgo taking the silver in 48.71 and Briton Rhys Williams claiming bronze in 49.12.

Russia, as expected, dominated the women's 800 metres, Olga Kotlyarova outsprinting Svetlana Klyuka to win in 1:57.38.

Klyuka, who was still in the lead 20 metres from the line, took the silver in 1:57.48 with British champion Rebecca Lyne completing the podium in 1:58.45.

The fourth day of the week-long festival had started with Yohan Diniz handing France their third gold medal of the championships by winning the men's 50 km walk in torrential rain.

The bespectacled 28-year-old, cheered home by the few hardy souls that had remained in the stadium, won over a minute ahead of Spain's Jesus Angel Garcia.

Results of finals on Thursday:

Women's discus throw: 1. Darya Pishchalnikova (Russia) 65.55 metres; 2. Franka Dietzsch (Germany) 64.35; 3. Nicoleta Grasu (Romania) 63.58; 4. Kateryna Karsak (Ukraine) 62.45; 5. Wioletta Potepa (Poland) 61.78; 6. Ellina Zvereva (Belarus) 61.72; 7. Vera Cechlova (Czech Republic) 60.71; 8. Dragana Tomasevic (Serbia) 60.20; 9. Nataliya Semenova (Ukraine) 59.99; 10. Irina Yatchenko (Belarus) 59.65; 11. Anna Soederberg (Sweden) 59.60; 12. Joanna Wisniewska (Poland) 59.41.

Men's 400-metre hurdles: 1. Periklis Iakovakis (Greece) 48.46 seconds; 2. Marek Plawgo (Poland) 48.71; 3. Rhys Williams (Britain) 49.12; 4. Naman Keita (France) 49.13; 5. Sebastien Maillard (France) 49.54; 6. Gianni Carabelli (Italy) 49.60; 7. Minas Alozidis (Greece) 49.61; 8. Aleksandr Derevyagin (Russia) 50.31.

Women's 800 metres: 1. Olga Kotlyarova (Russia) one minute 57.38 seconds; 2. Svetlana Klyuka (Russia) 1:57.48; 3. Rebecca Lyne (Britain) 1:58.45; 4. Tatyana Petlyuk (Ukraine) 1:58.65; 5. Brigita Langerholc (Slovenia) 1:59.30; 6. Teodora Kolarova (Bulgaria) 2:00.00; 7. Maite Martinez (Spain) 2:00.10; 8. Svetlana Cherkasova (Russia) 2:03.43.

Women's 400 metres: 1. Vanya Stambolova (Bulgaria) 49.85 seconds; 2. Tatyana Veshkurova (Russia) 50.15; 3. Olga Zaytseva (Russia) 50.28; 4. Mariyana Dimitrova (Bulgaria) 50.64; 5. Ilona Usovich (Belarus) 50.69; 6. Nicola Sanders (Britain) 50.87; 7. Svetlana Pospelova (Russia) 50.90; 8. Joanne Cuddihy (Ireland) 51.46.

Men's 200 metres: 1. Francis Obikwelu (Portugal) 20.01 seconds; 2. Johan Wissman (Sweden) 20.38; 3. Marlon Devonish (Britain) 20.54; 4. Kristof Beyens (Belgium) 20.57; 5. Ivan Teplykh (Russia) 20.76; 6. Eddy De Lepine (France) 20.77; 7. David Alerte (France) 20.93; 8. Anastasios Gousis (Greece) 20.94.—Reuters