TURIN (Italy), March 8: Fabrizio Donato finally gave hosts Italy something to cheer when he took triple jump gold with a national record at the European Indoor Athletics Championships on Saturday.

His leap of 17.59 metres was also a championship record and the best indoor jump in the world this year.

Italian medal hopes had earlier been hit when Antonietta Di Martino missed the women’s high jump heats with flu and former world outdoor champion Giuseppe Gibilisco failed to qualify for the pole vault final, as did defending champion Danny Ecker.

British favourite Dwain Chambers also broke the European and championship record when he ran 6.42 seconds to win the second 60 metres semi-final ahead of Sunday’s final.

Among other medals on Saturday, Sweden’s world silver medallist Johan Wissman produced the best indoor run this season to win the men’s 400 metres in 45.89 seconds while Antonina Krivoshapka of Russia clinched the women’s title.

Favourite Mo Farah of Britain easily won the men’s 3,000, Russia’s Anna Alminova took the women’s 1500 title and compatriot Ivan Ukhov won the men’s high jump after clearing 2.32 metres.

Ksenija Balta of Estonia prevailed in the women’s long jump and Russian Yuliya Golubchikova took advantage of the absence of compatriot and world record holder Yelena Isinbayeva to win the women’s pole vault.

Women’s high jump rivals Blanka Vlasic and Ariane Friedrich, who has a cold, easily qualified for the final.

Results:

Men’s:

Triple Jump: 1. Fabrizio Donato (Italy) 17.59 metres; 2. Viktor Yastrebov (Ukraine) 17.25; 3. Igor Spasovkhodskiy (Russia) 17.15; 4. Karl Taillepierre (France) 17.12; 5. Dzmitry Dziatsuk (Belarus) 16.88; 6. Yevgeniy Plotnir (Russia) 16.81; 7. Jaanus Uudmae (Estonia) 16.73; 8. Jules Lechanga (France) 16.64.

High Jump: 1. Ivan Ukhov (Russia) 2.32 metres; 2 equal. Kyriakos Ioannou (Cyprus) 2.29, 2 equal. Aleksey Dmitrik (Russia) 2.29; 4 equal. Filippo Campioli (Italy) 2.29, 4 equal. Aleksandr Shustov (Russia) 2.29; 6. Konstadinos Baniotis (Greece) 2.29; 7. Raul Spank (Germany) 2.25; 8. Dragutin Topic (Serbia) 2.25; 9. Bohdan Bondarenko (Ukraine) 2.20.

3,000 metres: 1. Mo Farah (Britain) seven minutes 40.17 seconds; 2. Bouabdellah Tahri (France) 7:42.14; 3. Jesus Espana (Spain) 7:43.29; 4. Sergio Sanchez (Spain) 7:45.29; 5. Selim Bayrak (Turkey) 7:45.46; 6. Nick McCormick (Britain) 7:52.07; 7. Olle Wallerang (Sweden) 7:56.44; 8. Gezachw Yossef (Israel) 8:01.78; 9. Francisco Espana (Spain) 8:03.45; 10. Martin Proell (Austria) 8:04.03; 11. Mark Draper (Britain) 8:10.19; 12. Albert Minczer (Hungary) 8:10.55.

400 metres: 1. Johan Wissman (Sweden) 45.89 seconds; 2. Claudio Licciardello (Italy) 46.32; 3. Ioan Vieru (Romania) 46.54; 4. Clemens Zeller (Austria) 46.62; 5. Richard Buck (Britain) 46.93; 6. Matteo Galvan (Italy) 48.23.Women’s:

Pole vault: 1. Yuliya Golubchikova (Russia) 4.75 metres; 2. Silke Spiegelburg (Germany) 4.75; 3. Anna Battke (Germany) 4.65; 4. Aleksandra Kiryashova (Russia) 4.50; 5. Kristina Gadschiew (Germany) 4.35; 6. Kate Dennison (Britain) 4.35; 7. Joanna Piwowarska (Poland) 4.35.

Long jump: 1. Ksenija Balta (Estonia) 6.87 metres; 2. Yelena Sokolova (Russia) 6.84; 3. Olga Kucherenko (Russia) 6.82; 4. Nina Kolaric (Slovenia) 6.62; 5. Tatyana Voykina (Russia) 6.57; 6. Sirkka-Liisa Kivine (Estonia) 6.51; 7. Kelly Proper (Ireland) 6.37; 8. Joanna Skibinska (Poland) 6.28.

1,500 metres: 1. Anna Alminova (Russia) four minutes 7.76 seconds; 2. Natalia Rodriguez (Spain) 4:08.72; 3. Sonja Roman (Slovenia) 4:11.42; 4. Roisin McGettigan (Ireland) 4:11.58; 5. Yevgeniya Zolotova (Russia) 4:11.72; 6. Natalya Yevdokimova (Russia) 4:12.33; 7. Lidia Chojecka (Poland) 4:15.90; 8. Marina Muncan (Serbia) 4:20.01; 9. Marije te Raa (Netherlands) 4:30.93.

400 metres: 1. Antonina Krivoshapka (Russia) 51.18 seconds; 2. Nataliya Pyhyda (Ukraine) 51.44; 3. Darya Safonova (Russia) 51.85; 4. Natalya Antyukh (Russia) 52.37; 5. Daniela Reina (Italy) 53.11; 6. Donna Fraser (Britain) 53.58.—Reuters