European Athletics (EAA) – News – Russia top medals table again, but Swedish hosts make the biggest gains

Russia maintained their habitual domination of the European Athletics Indoor Championships as they finished top of the medal table for the fifth time in the last seven stagings of the event, matching the total of 14 medals they won at the 2011 Championships in Paris as they collected four golds, seven silvers and three bronzes.

But it could be argued that the host nation will finish these championships the happiest, given that they have earned sixth place in the table – with one gold, two silvers and three bronzes – having finished 21st two years ago in Paris with just a solitary bronze.

Second place went to Great Britain & Northern Ireland, boosted by final day victories for Perri Shakes-Drayton in the individual 400m and golds in both the men's and women's 400m relays which saw them through to a total of eight medals – four golds, three silvers and a bronze.

Although France earned one more medal overall, they finished one place lower than they had in 2011 as more of their medals were bronze. Other than their bad year in 2007, when they managed just one silver and three bronze, France have had consistently good results in the European Indoors, finishing in the top three from 2005 onwards.

Britain's performance fell just short of their most successful recent outing in these championships when they finished top of the medals table in 2007 with four golds, three silvers and three bronzes. The only other nation to top the table since 2000 has been Spain, who took five golds, three silvers and three bronzes in 2002.

Germany, seventh with a total of five medals, are likely to be among the more disappointed nations after these championships given their recent performances in finishing third two years ago – with three golds, four silvers and three bronzes – and second in 2009, when they won three golds, three silvers and four bronzes.

European Athletics (EAA) – News