By Mike Rowbottom

Dafne Schippers celebrates her European Indoor 60m win in Prague ©Getty ImagesDafne Schippers earned the European Athletics Indoor Championships 60 metres title in Prague's O2 Arena today in a 2015 world best equaling personal best of 7.05sec, as the men's equivalent went to Great Britain's Richard Kilty.


Dutch athlete Schippers surprised the world of athletics with her performances last season, when she turned from heptathlon to produce a series of stirring sprints, which culminated with her winning the European outdoor 100 and 200m titles, as well as winning in the International Association of Athletics Federation's Continental Cup.

All that meant she was a name to be reckoned with at this competition, but she lived up to all expectations as she bettered the personal best of 7.07 she had set in yesterday's final to claim gold ahead of Britain's world junior champion Dina Asher-Smith, who took silver in a personal best of 7.08 that equalled the national record.

Germany's 2010 European outdoor 100m champion Verena Sailer took bronze in 7.09.

Schippers thus joins Murielle Ahouré of the Ivory Coast at the top of the 2015 world rankings.

The men's 60m also went to an athlete who performed above expectations last year.

Kilty produced a season's best of 6.51 to add a European Indoor gold to the one he had collected in Sopot last year as his main rival, compatriot Chijindu Ujah, was disqualified for a false start.

Richard Kilty, an unexpected winner of the world indoor 60m last year, adds the European athletics indoor title to his collection in Prague's O2 Arena today ©Getty ImagesRichard Kilty, an unexpected winner of the world indoor 60m last year, adds the European athletics indoor title to his collection in Prague's O2 Arena today ©Getty Images


That left the pugnacious Briton well clear of Germany's Christian Blum and Julian Reus.

It was a good day for sprinting, as the final event saw Belgium set a European record of 3min 02.87sec in the 4x400m relay, with Poland and host nation the Czech Republic setting national records of 3:02.97 and 3:04.09 respectively.

Most popular win of the day, however, came in the men's 1,500m as home runner Jakub Holuša set a Czech record of 3:37.68 to claim gold, ahead of İlham Tanui Özbilen of Turkey 3:37.74 and Britain's Chris O'Hare in 3:38.96.

Home runner Jakub Holuša brings the house down at the O2 Arena as he wins 1,500m gold for the Czech Republic ©Getty ImagesHome runner Jakub Holuša brings the house down at the O2 Arena as he wins 1,500m gold for the Czech Republic ©Getty Images






Ekaterina Koneva of Russia produced a 2015 world-leading mark of 14.69m to win the triple jump, with Gabriela Petrova of Bulgaria second and bronze going to Israel's Hanna Knyazyeva, who set a national record of 14.49.

The performances of Kilty, and Asher-Smith - who was "over the moon" after becoming the first British female to win a medal in the event in 30 years - lifted British morale following the disappointment suffered by their 33-year-old champion of 2011, Jenny Meadows, who was unable to run in the 800m final after the virus from which she had been suffering all week had worsened overnight.

In her absence, Switzerland's Selina Büchel won the title in 2:01.95 - a time the Briton has eclipsed four times this season.

Marcin Lewandowski of Poland, the favourite to win the men's 800m title, duly obliged in a time of 1min 46.67sec, with Mark English of Ireland taking silver in 1:47.20.

A closely contested men's high jump final saw three athletes manage 2.31m, with gold going on countback to Russia's Daniil Tsyplakov, who equalled his season's best.

Second place was shared by Silvano Chesani of Italy and Antonios Mastoras of Greece.

Ilya Shkurenyov of Russia consolidated his overnight lead in the heptathlon, finishing with a 2015 world-leading mark of 6,353 points after the second day's 60m hurdles, pole vault and 1,000m.

Arthur Abele of Germany took silver with a personal best of 6279 and Eelco Sintnicolaas of The Netherlands earned bronze with a season's best of 6185.

Anzhelika Sidorova of Russia claimed the pole vault title with a personal best of 4.80m ahead of Greece's Aikaterini Stefanidi, who cleared 4.75, and bronze medallist Angelika Bengtsson of Sweden, who set a national record of 4.70.

Sifan Hassan of The Netherlands, who had decided against doubling up over 3,000m, was a dominant winner of the 1,500m in 4min 09.04 ahead of Angelika Cichocka of Poland with 4:10.53 and Federica Del Bueno of Italy, who clocked 4:11.61.

France took the women's 4x400m gold in 3min 31.61sec, narrowly ahead of Britain in 3:31.79, with Poland taking bronze in 3:31.90.

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