European Athletics (EAA) – News – Shubenkov’s world-leading 7.49 and Yanit’s European-leading 7.89 bring first day to sizzling conclusion

A 2013 world-leading performance of 7.49 by Russia's Sergey Shubenkov in the men's 60m hurdles, and a European rankings-leading effort and Turkish record of 7.89 in the women's 60m hurdles by Nevin Yanit brought the first full day of action at the European Athletics Indoor Championships in Göteborg to a thrilling conclusion.

So close was Shubenkov's race with Paolo Dal Molin of Italy that neither man was sure where he had finished in the aftermath of the race until it emerged that the European outdoor champion had added the indoor version to his list of honours by virtue of 0.02sec, with Dal Molin taking silver in a national record of 7.51, 0.02sec ahead of France's Pascal Martinot Lagarde.

Yanit finished 0.05sec ahead of Alina Talay of Belarus, whose 7.94 equalled her personal best, with Veronica Borsi of Italy being credited with the same time as she took bronze just 0.01sec ahead of Ireland's Derval O'Rourke.

Ten minutes before Lagarde's bronze, there had been another success for France as Antoinette Nana Djimou had retained her pentathlon title by a margin of six points from the athlete who had finished almost six seconds and virtually the length of the home straight ahead of her in the concluding 800 metres, Yana Maksimava of Belarus. The totals were 4666 to 4658, with Hanna Melnychenko taking bronze with 4608.

The first gold medal of these championships went to Serbia's Asmir Kolasinac, who produced the four furthest efforts of the shot put final, the best of which was a season's best of 20.62. Hamza Alic of Bosnia and Herzegovina took silver in a personal best of 20.34, with bronze going to the Czech Republic's Ladislav Prasil, who had a best of 20.29.

All eyes were on home runner Abeba Aregawi during the second of the women's 1500m heats, and the 22-year-old naturalised Ethiopian, who was cleared to compete for Sweden in December and came within 0.12sec of the world indoor record with her victory in Stockholm on February 21, did not disappoint.

Her winning time of 4min 11.38sec was well shy of the 3:58.40 she had produced just over a week earlier, but it more than sufficed here to guarantee her a place in Saturday's final. Natalia Rodriguez of Spain was next fastest qualifier with 4:12.25, ahead of Britain's Laura Muir, who achieved a personal best of 4:12.36 in holding off Russia's Yelena Soboleva, whose world indoor record still stands despite all her results from 2007 to April 2011 being annulled for a doping infraction.

Home pole vaulter Angelica Bengtsson, the 2010 Youth Olympic champion and world junior champion, produced a season's best of 4.46m in qualifying, but missed out on progression to Saturday's final by one place on countback.

Jimmy Vicaut of France, the European 100m silver medallist, was the fastest qualifier in the men's 60m heats, clocking 6.55sec as he finished 0.10sec clear of Norway's Jaysuma Saidy Ndure, who was equal sixth fastest overall with Britain's Harry Aikines-Aryeetey. Italy's Michael Tumi was second fastest on the night in 6.59, with Britain's James Dasaolu third in 6.62.

There was no progression, however, for the 34-year-old Briton who won this title four years ago, Dwain Chambers, who missed the cut by one place and 0.02sec.

Yelena Kotulskaya of Russia headed the women's 800m qualification with 2:02.35 ahead of Nataliya Lupu of the Ukraine, who recorded a season's best of 2:02.55, and Britain's team captain Jenny Meadows, back after the injury which undermined her Olympic selection hopes, who clocked 2:02.88. Ireland's pair of Rose-Anne Galligan and Clare Everard also made a statement as they won their heats emphatically in 2:03.62 and 2:04.33 respectively.

Poland's defending 800m champion Adam Kszczot had warned before these Championships began that he was prepared to run very fast over the final lap, and he was as good as his word as he went from the bell to win his heat easily in 1min 48.69sec, checking over his shoulder before easing down towards the line ahead of Josef Repcik, who clocked 1:48.88.

Those were the two fastest times recorded. Francisco Roldan of Spain was third fastest qualifier for Saturday's semi-finals with 1:49.10, ahead of Britain's Mukhtar Mohammed, who clocked 1:49.43, and Johan Rogestedt of Sweden, who recorded 1:49.46. Mohammed's team-mate Michael Rimmer, the European outdoor silver medallist in 2010 who leads this year's European rankings with 1:46.55, like Chambers, missed progression by one place.

World triple jump champion Olha Saladuha of the Ukraine was well clear as top qualifier for Sunday morning's final, reaching an automatic qualifying distance of 14.47m with her first attempt, with second and third places in the listings going to Irina Gumenyuk of Russia, on 14.30, and Simona La Mantia of Italy, who also beat the qualifying distance of 14.10 with her first effort of 14.24.

Britain's European outdoor high jump champion and Olympic bronze medallist Robbie Grabarz progressed to Saturday's final despite only managing 2.23m on a day when the best clearance of 2.28 was achieved by five athletes – Adonios Mastoras of Greece, Jaroslav Baba of the Czech Republic, Aleksey Dmitrik and Sergey Mudrov of Russia and Mickael Hanany of France.

The first gold medal of these championships went to Serbia's Asmir Kolasinac, who produced the four furthest efforts of the shot put final, the best of which was a season's best of 20.62. Hamza Alic of Bosnia and Herzegovina took silver in a personal best of 20.34, with bronze going to the Czech Republic's Ladislav Prasil, who had a best of 20.29.

All eyes were on home runner Abeba Aregawi during the second of the women's 1500m heats, and the 22-year-old naturalised Ethiopian, who was cleared to compete for Sweden in December and came within 0.12sec of the world indoor record with her victory in Stockholm on February 21, did not disappoint.

Her winning time of 4min 11.38sec was well shy of the 3:58.40 she had produced just over a week earlier, but it more than sufficed here to guarantee her a place in Saturday's final. Natalia Rodriguez of Spain was next fastest qualifier with 4:12.25, ahead of Britain's Laura Muir, who achieved a personal best of 4:12.36 in holding off Russia's Yelena Soboleva, whose world indoor record still stands despite all her results from 2007 to April 2011 being annulled for a doping infraction.

Home pole vaulter Angelica Bengtsson, the 2010 Youth Olympic champion and world junior champion, produced a season's best of 4.46m in qualifying, but missed out on progression to Saturday's final by one place on countback.

Jimmy Vicaut of France, the European 100m silver medallist, was the fastest qualifier in the men's 60m heats, clocking 6.55sec as he finished 0.10sec clear of Norway's Jaysuma Saidy Ndure, who was equal sixth fastest overall with Britain's Harry Aikines-Aryeetey. Italy's Michael Tumi was second fastest on the night in 6.59, with Britain's James Dasaolu third in 6.62.

There was no progression, however, for the 34-year-old Briton who won this title four years ago, Dwain Chambers, who missed the cut by one place and 0.02sec.

Yelena Kotulskaya of Russia headed the women's 800m qualification with 2:02.35 ahead of Nataliya Lupu of the Ukraine, who recorded a season's best of 2:02.55, and Britain's team captain Jenny Meadows, back after the injury which undermined her Olympic selection hopes, who clocked 2:02.88. Ireland's pair of Rose-Anne Galligan and Clare Everard also made a statement as they won their heats emphatically in 2:03.62 and 2:04.33 respectively.

Poland's defending 800m champion Adam Kszczot had warned before these Championships began that he was prepared to run very fast over the final lap, and he was as good as his word as he went from the bell to win his heat easily in 1min 48.69sec, checking over his shoulder before easing down towards the line ahead of Josef Repcik, who clocked 1:48.88.

Those were the two fastest times recorded. Francisco Roldan of Spain was third fastest qualifier for Saturday's semi-finals with 1:49.10, ahead of Britain's Mukhtar Mohammed, who clocked 1:49.43, and Johan Rogestedt of Sweden, who recorded 1:49.46. Mohammed's team-mate Michael Rimmer, the European outdoor silver medallist in 2010 who leads this year's European rankings with 1:46.55, like Chambers, missed progression by one place.

World triple jump champion Olha Saladuha of the Ukraine was well clear as top qualifier for Sunday morning's final, reaching an automatic qualifying distance of 14.47m with her first attempt, with second and third places in the listings going to Irina Gumenyuk of Russia, on 14.30, and Simona La Mantia of Italy, who also beat the qualifying distance of 14.10 with her first effort of 14.24.

Britain's European outdoor high jump champion and Olympic bronze medallist Robbie Grabarz progressed to Saturday's final despite only managing 2.23m on a day when the best clearance of 2.28 was achieved by five athletes – Adonios Mastoras of Greece, Jaroslav Baba of the Czech Republic, Aleksey Dmitrik and Sergey Mudrov of Russia and Mickael Hanany of France.

European Athletics (EAA) – News

Day 1 afternoon stats – By Ken Nakamura