Andy Turner Wins 110m Gold

Andy Turner put all of his troubles behind him on Friday night as he stormed to 110m hurdles gold in Barcelona.

The twenty nine year old won a bronze medal four years ago in Gothenburg but a series of injuries and run of poor form saw him loose his funding two years ago.

But it was Turner who has dug deep and continued his dream of picked up a major gold medal as he clocked a time of 13.28 seconds.

Petr Svoboda was the favourite for the title and led the early stage of the race but as he surprisingly fell away Turner pounced.

He got his usual good start and ran his own race rather than try and compete with Svoboda and it was that composure that saw him race through the field and finally achieve his potential.

Speaking to the BBC after the race he said: “It's a dream come true.

"I came here with the dream of gold. I knew I was capable, but being capable and doing it when you need to are two different things.

"I knew if I had a clean race it was mine for the taking. I felt good in the semi but hit that one hurdle and it threw me back.”

It was a great night all round for British athletics as Christian Malcolm was piped on the line by Frenchman Christophe Lemaitre.

Malcolm, who has struggled with injuries during recent years, had run well through the rounds but put pressure on Lemaitre on the bend, and was still in the lead with just meters to go.

But Lemaitre showed blistering speed and his dip saw him pip the Welshman as he did the sprint double.

Lemaitre clocked a time of 20.37 while Malcolm was given the time of 20.38 to win a silver medal. Martial Mbandjock added to his 100m bronze as he finished third while Marlon Devonish came in in fourth.   

Michael Bingham and Martyn Rooney lived up to their medal hopes as they took silver and bronze in the 400m.

Rooney had been the fastest runner in Europe earlier this season but had struggled to recapture that form in recent weeks.

And while Rooney admitted that he did come to the championships with the aim of winning gold he had to settle for bronze.

Both runner had a difficult job as Rooney ran from lane one while Bingham found himself in lane eight. But both of them made the best of their situation as Rooney was leading with just 30m to go.

But in the middle of the field it was Kevin Borlee, and not his brother Jonathan, who battled through to win the gold in 45.08.

Michael Bingham produced a storming home straight to jus pip Rooney, although they were both given the same time of 45.23.

And the medals just kept on coming as Jenny Meadows picked up another bronze in the final of the 800m.

She picked up her first medal just twelve months go and she added European bronze to her World bronze, after admitting that she wasn’t fully fit.

She has struggled with an injury this season but Meadows took it to the field when she found herself leading the pack.

She wound up the race but didn’t have enough in the home straight as Mariya Savinova and Yvonne Hak overtook her in the home straight.

And youngster Perri Shakes-Drayton showed her potential ass she picked up a bronze in the 400m hurdles.

Perri picked up the junior European title just twelve months ago but picked up her first senior medal as she clocked a time of 54.18 as she stormed down the home straight.

FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw