GATESHEAD, England — Double Olympic champion Mo Farah convincingly won the men’s 5,000 metre race Saturday to gain maximum points for Britain at the European Team Championships.
The 5,000 and 10,000 metre gold medallist waited until the final lap before powering away from the rest of the field to finish in 14 minutes, 10 seconds.
Britain finished the first half of the two-day event in third place, collecting 181 points.
Germany leads with 195 and Russia is second with 194.
The European Team Championships meet is the successor to the European Cup, with one athlete from each of Europe’s 12 top-performing countries competing in each event.
Turkey collected important points in the men’s 1,500 final after Ilham Tanui Ozbilen came first with a time of 3.38.57.
The women’s 800 was won by Britain’s Jessica Judd, who crossed the line in 2:00.82 to beat Ekaterina Sharmina of Russia who finished in 2:00.86.
In the women’s 3,000, Elena Korobkina came first with a time of 9:01.45, beating Britain’s Laura Weightman who came second. There was more success for Russia in the men’s long jump as Alexander Menkov recorded 8.36 metres to win, beating Olympic champion Greg Rutherford of Britain who finished third.
Silke Spiegelburg of Germany won the women’s pole vault final with 4.60, holding off Russia’s Sidorova Anzhelika who finished with 4.55.
Poland’s Pawel Fajdek threw 77 metres with his first attempt in the men’s hammer final and that distance remained unbeaten. Germany’s Markus Esser came closest with 76.32.
Ukraine took maximum points in the women’s triple jump after Olha Saladuha jumped 14.49 while in the women’s discus France’s Melina Robert-Michon produced a season’s best of 63.75 to win.
There was another victory for Ukraine in the men’s high jump where Bohdan Bondarenko jumped 2.28 metres.
Ukraine was close to another win in the women’s 3,000 steeplechase but Valentyna Zhudina was unable to overcome Russia’s Natalia Aristarkhova who took top spot in 9:30.64.
Germany triumphed in both the men’s shot put, where David Storl won the final with a throw of 20.47 metres, and the women’s javelin, where Christina Obergfoll came first with 62.64.
France will be hoping it can claim a first place in the men’s 100 metres after Jimmy Vicaut progressed from the heats with the fastest time of 10.28.
In the women’s 100, Ukraine’s Olesya Povh recorded the fastest time of 11.51. Close behind was France’s Myriam Soumare in 11.66.
Vladimir Krasnov led the way in the men’s 400 heats, clocking 45.69 which was a season’s best and the fastest time going into the final.
Britain’s Perri Shakes-Drayton was the fastest qualifier from the women’s 400, registering 50.50, and Silvio Schirrmeister of Germany set the best qualifying time in the men’s 400 metre hurdles with a personal best of 49.15.
Britain’s 4×100 men’s relay qualified for the final in the fastest time of 38.39, while in the women’s event Ukraine came out on top, crossing the line in 42.62.