Shakes-drayton grabs gold at ‘Euro Indoors’
Moreira takes 3,000 meters race
GOTHENBURG, Sweden, March 3, (Agencies): British hurdler Perri ShakesDrayton continued to impress on the flat with a commanding gold medal run over 400 metres at the European Indoor Championships in Gothenburg on Sunday.
The 24-year-old, who failed by one place to make the 400m hurdles final at last year’s London Olympics, powered home in a personal best 50.85secs, which was also the fastest time in the world this year.
The silver medal also went to Britain with Eilidh Child more than half a second slower, but setting a new Scottish record of 51.45secs. Sweden’s Moa Hjelmer finished strongly to take the bronze medal.
British hopes were also high in the men’s 400 metres where they had three qualifiers for the final, but had to settle for a silver for Nigel Levine behind Pavel Maslak of the Czech Republic.
The men’s 800 metres title was won by defending champion Adam Kszczot of Poland in a time of 1:48.69, with silver going to Spain’s Kevin Lopez (1:49.31) and the bronze to rising British star Mukhtar Mohammed in 1:49.60.
There was an upset in the women’s 800 metres where, on the final lap, Ukraine’s Nataliya Lupu burst clear of strong favourite Yelena Kotulskaya of Russia, with Marina Arzamasova of Belarus in third. Defending champion Jenny Meadows of Britain was fourth.
Shakes-Drayton, who should claim a second gold in the 4x400m relay later