Day 1 - Morning Session Athletics: European Championships

A very good morning to all of you from all of us. This summer of sport

just keeps on giving. Now it is time for the European Atletico to take

centre stage. This place in zero is best known for the Weltklasse. It is

time for this place to show champions and create champions.

European champions of which Britain has had quite a few through the

years. Well done Fatima Whitbread. Waite it

is fast, long and high, a massive throw. Jonathan Edwards becomes

European champion. Roger black takes gold for Britain.

Daley Thompson, European champion. Jessica Ennis-Hill confirm in his

status as the very best. -- confirming her status. Magnificent.

Denise Lewis, the new champion. Mo Farah does it again. STUDIO: Some

great memories. After dropping out of the Commonwealth Games, Mo Farah

is here in 08. -- Zurich. You all featured in those memories of

European Championships. I liked your hair Denise! Great memories. It was

a great Championships. We were always strong and competitive and I

always had to be at my best. The challenge for the athletes, two

Championships so close together. Ten and 11 days between the end of one

and the start of the next one. It is hard because you have to manage the

two peaks and get ready for one and if you did really well, get over

that high and get ready to come back and treat this as a fresh one. If

you did not go well in Glasgow, come into this on the rebound with some

way to make amends. It did not go too well for you in Manchester,

Colin? You are spot on Paula, I had to change my approach after running

disappointingly in Manchester 2002. I had to bounce back, only ten days

to try to defend my European title. It is never easy doing Championships

back to back. It is day one and it is a busy morning and this is what

is coming up. Hannah England, Laura Muir and Laura

Weightman will be in this. Not quite such a good experience for Goldie

Sayers. She is the captain and says she is in great shape.

This is Matthew Hudson-Smith. He goes in the individual event after a

great relay leg in Glasgow. Breakfast with Tiffany just about

lunch time with the heats of the women's 100-metre hurdles. And this

is the timetable. Lots to look forward to. Paul,

particularly, the women's 1500 metres, after what was a very tough

event in the Commonwealth. This is a really tough event. There is not an

easier option, they were up against the Kenyan girls in Glasgow and they

are up against the Ethiopians today. It will be a tough event. It will be

tough even to qualify today but the girls are in great shape, Laura Muir

and Hannah Weightman. They have been really buoyed, Hannah Weightman,

particularly by the silver medal in Glasgow. Hopefully, Laura Muir has

managed to put itself back together mentally because she is in great

shape. We will focus on the mend's decathlon, let's hear from our

British competitor. My name is Ashley Bryant and I am doing the

mend's decathlon. I was very happy, I did not go there to score big but

I am in great shape so I want the points to reflect the shape I am in.

Hopefully I can now relax and put the score down. How does your body

feel post Commonwealth Games? What is the shortest gap you have had in

between the Catalans before? Three weeks is the shortest. That one week

does make a difference. I had worked for that. Long and physically it was

hard. You will be tired at the end of the day, it is a decathlon. When

it comes to British heritage in a decathlon, we looked at Dean Macey

and Daley Thompson. Are you inspired by the history? I do not go back and

look at the statistics. But you see the videos and you see what they

achieved. I want to get up to those schools. -- scores. It will take a

few years for me to even think about being where they were. But it is a

maturing event. I definitely think it is possible to get up to the

mid-8 thousands. It is not easy to be here at all? Jemma there have not

been many people scoring 8000 in Britain. Standards have gone up. To

be the only decathlete here is good. Let's go and put down the big

scores. The places will take care of themselves. Ashley Bryant getting

ready for this first event. Denise, we talked about the challenge of

back-to-back championships, the hardest fought decathletes.

Absolutely, they are on the track. Many athletes. -- they are on the

track for so many hours. But Ashley Bryant is ready and he knows this

championship is wide in decathlon. They are a handful of athletes out

there who are very much capable of scoring well. He needs to be at his

best and make sure he gets his championship to a great start.

Realistically, he is looking at a score rather than a medal which is a

different mindset to what he had in the Commonwealth Games. He has not

been over 8000 point many times in his career and you need to really

establish yourself as a true performer and get it up to those

high marks to give you a fighting chance at this level. He knows that.

It is time to make that step. Make that transferrin is into those

finals. -- transference into those finals. Steve Cram, Steve Backley

and festival Andrew Cotter in the commentary box. COMMENTATOR: Welcome

to a very sunny stadium. It is a little colder than it has been the

last few days. Heavy rain yesterday. Very happy the weather is nice today

and conditions just about perfect. The ground slowly filling up. We

have become used, certainly in the Commonwealth Games and Olympic

Games, to see sessions fall. -- full.

To put things in perspective, he had such success in the Commonwealth

Games. European decathlon is stronger than Commonwealth the

catalogue? It is. This is an opportunity for Ashley Bryant. It

was not a great performance for him in terms of the hijab and the long

jump and hurdles, he hit every hurdle. -- terms of the high jump.

Should he go below 11 seconds, and get off to a better start than he

did in the Commonwealth Games, who knows? The Hungarian in this is 37

now. Former world bronze-medallist. Good conditions for sprinting.

Pretty much flat calm. For all of these athletes, it is about getting

off to a good start and challenging your personal best. Two more heats

to come after this. We shall see how Ashley Bryant fares.

The Estonian comes through on the far side. Not quite as Ashley Bryant

would have been hoping for. A little bit disappointed perhaps. Not the

start we would have hoped for. He ran 11.1 in Glasgow two weeks ago.

He looked like he might be over striding here. Towards the end.

Almost bounding along. Outside of 11.3, 11.4, not quite enough for the

start he would have hoped. He will have to do a lifetime best to get

amongst the medals here. No doubt about that. He needs performances

beyond his lifetime best and that is not one of them.

A busy start to the field of events. Very busy, somewhat 50 athletes

involved. Combination of pol falters.

Look out for Tomasz Majewski and David Storl, the defending champion.

He has just gone beyond the yellow line, I don't think he fouled,

that'll advance him into this afternoon's final. Looked quick

across the final. Always tough coming into the morning

qualification for every athlete. It is the start of the championship and

you have to get off with a bang. Which is what the bog area and has

done. Automatic qualification. -- that is what the old dairy and --

Bulgarian has done. events, unfortunately, but some of

the best in the world will contest for medals later this afternoon.

This is your favourite, defending champion. 6000 calories a day and

has thrown just below 22 metres this year. That is shot technique. Very

comfortably, 20 metres point -- 20.20. That is

comfortably, 20 metres point -- 20.20. That clinical. Very

comfortable for the German champion. He will go through to deny the's

final also. -- to tonight's final. 20.76 metres, confirmation. Ashley

Bryant is down there. After that is slightly disappointing

first event for Ashley Bryant, he will be watching what happens in the

rest of these 100 metre races. Van der Plaetsen in lane two.

25 years of age. Two Frenchmen in this. One of the quickest men in

this second race here, Haslett. Just get used to some of the colour of

the strips. Ashley Bryant was in the British strip, predominantly blue

will stop a lot of blue out there, but it is micro-blue. A lot of blue

out there, but it is helpful that the French are in the dark blue.

There is Meyer in lane three. A good first event for

Sintnicolaas. We will get the first official time for that shortly. A

good first event for him. There is a lot of talk about this track, that

it was going to be very fast. Into the breeze that does not help. The

headwind is possibly canceling that out. It is all to do with the

coefficient of restitution. Kevin Meyer of France in second place,

looking very good. He is Nancy's -- fancied as one of the contenders for

goal here. This is Majewski of Poland, his first attempt to get

through to tonight's final. The old men of the competition. Looking like

a youngster. Watch out for this men, he has a handy knack of getting it

right at the major championship. He will be the dark horse for many

people. He might need the stimulus of a European title, it will just

flow through his veins. The course of the final later. He will be in

the mix, without a doubt. Bucki of France, 23 years of age. He has not

managed over 20 metres this year, his lifetime best. It does go beyond

the 20 metres. The yellow line is the automatic qualification. They

will all go through to the final if they go over 12. A maximum of 12. A

season best in qualification for the Frenchmen.

Shy of the automatic. We will have to wait and see. Sintnicolaas with a

season best. That is his best so far this year. Kevin Meyer, just outside

his personal best. The top three in heats to. -- heat two. How did you

find it? You are only as good as it your performance. A little bit down

in the 100. I and not too disappointed, it is a decent start.

You had just done a decathlon in Glasgow. I have never turned around

that quick, three weeks. Everyone can appreciate how you feel after a

decathlon. I would not turn up if eye was not ready to go and perform

well. We have talked about the contrast between a full stadium in

Glasgow, it shows how great the British fans have been at home. You

would not want any more than Glasgow. The stadium was perfect.

The stadium was perfect. They. -- the fans were perfect. Qualification

continues. A personal best of 21.40 metres for the Russian champion and

this season. That was all over the place. The shot seemed to slip away

from the neck and that is connect, that is -- disconnect, that is not

the start he would have wanted. Maybe he is feeling at the nerves

and what it means it to be in a European Championship. He will have

two more attempt to advance and improve on that performance. To the

third heat of the 100 metres. The German is in lane three.

It is the season best times which get these men into the quickest

heats. All of these men have gone below 11 seconds this season. Strong

competition from Kazmirek. He is a good bit quicker than anybody else

in this race. Not the strongest of the German

contingent there. Distelberger of Austria in lane eight. And Rietveld

making of the line-up, from the Netherlands. Over 8200 point this

season. A very strong line-up, but in terms of times, the German, whose

father was a very good athlete, he would have competed against Daley

Thompson, but for the East German, it is left up to the West German. He

is an upstanding athlete. The third heat of the 100 metres in

the decathlon. Give them one chance to make that

false start. It is difficult to tell who was at fault there. It might

have been Freimuth. His reaction time is 0.021. Anything below

0.1... There is a twitch from him, first of all. The two Germans have

been drawn side-by-side. I think that is helping in terms of getting

a decent time in year at the start of this decathlon. The European

leader, Kazmirek, possibly being dragged along by the favourite for

this final heat. It is a perfect situation for the European leader.

We saw in the Commonwealth Games, the Australian athletes

double-faulted, two false starts. You can carry on competing but you

will not be competing in the overall reckoning, so Freimuth just has to

be careful here. Ready to go again. Freimuth doing the very least that

he would have expected there. Eventually picking up and coming

through to win it. Anywhere near his season 's best, I do not think it

is. Kazmirek looking very strong to his best. It has been given as a

personal best, Kazmirek. Freimuth was not up to the caliber

of Daley Thompson, but running very well next to his patronage. --

compatriot. Off and running, at least, into a very strong wind as

well. Kazmirek with a personal best, which is what you are looking for in

a decathlon. Target your personal best and move on.

Ashley, you said you thought he looked a little bit tired, but he

seems to be reasonably happy. You have to tell yourself you feel

great, because it is a mental battle through these days, and I thought he

looked a bit heavy legged, and nobody could really criticise him,

because it is such a tough turnaround to do this event. He just

looked not as fresh as he did in Glasgow, as you would expect. A bit

of Chad about the track. -- a bit of talk about the track. It is quite

soft and they wanted to get maximum rebound and not get stuck in the

track before they take off. You want to get as much energy transference

back to the athlete. Laura Muir has something to prove after a very

disappointing games. I just wanted to finally put to rest exec at what

happened in the 1,500 metres. It was the tiny is the eclipse from someone

behind me. I lost my footing. I watched it back and was thinking

that I was in the right place at the right time. I did what I wanted to

do and they cannot control what happens behind me. It could happen

again but I hope it does not. It was pretty heartbreaking. I work for it

for years and it meant everything to me. It was difficult. My coach told

me I could have a day off the next day but I went back to training.

These things happened and I hope this time around I can get clear of

it. Paula, she will obviously be very focused here but her main thing

was to do well in the Commonwealth Games in front of a home crowd.

Exactly and as she said, she did nothing wrong in that race. She

cannot control what happened behind her. She needed to come away and

mentally pick herself up because physically, she is in a very good

shape. She has a chance to come back and redeem herself but it is how

well mentally she has picked herself up from that. What happened to Laura

Weightman could easily have happened to Laura Muir because they were in

very similar shape. Exactly. You are spot on, the most important thing is

that she realised she worked really hard in the winter to come through

and be in the position she is in today. She has to not get down on

herself after the Commonwealth Games, she has to keep a positive

mindset because she can perform very well. The opposite problem, if you

like, for Laura Weightman, although it is not a problem, she is coming

off a massive high. It is how you manage that elation. Getting

yourself fresh and ready to do this again and repeat. It is a great

opportunity for both of these girls to mix it up and get into the

medals. Laura Muir, I think she has to prove to herself she can do it in

finals because she has been unfortunate to have these incidents

when it really matters. It has happened in doors and in the

Commonwealth Games. The real test is on this young lady, Laura Muir.

Behind the favourite of Sweden. I think Hassan comes in with a little

more edge. They are the two they are aiming at staying with. Laura Muir

can look at Laura Weightman's run and say, I am right with her and as

good as she is. They will have the feeling they belong in this company

and that they can come here and negotiate the heats safely and think

about getting medals. Steve Cram will be commentating in this. We can

talk to him now. Steve, a very big moment for Laura Muir. It is when

you find out what you are made of. She was hugely unfortunate. She is a

great acting and having a great season. I saw her come into the

stadium with her coach Andy after that night she had fallen and it was

good of her to come back. It was good what Andy did with her and get

immersed back into it. I had a chat. I think you have to put things

like that behind you. She is in great shape. Like Laura Weightman

and Hannah as well, coming into these champions, knowing it will be

tough. But they are in a position where they might be looking at a

medal. She knows how the hard work she has put in. She is running well

and she has every chance of running well. They have to negotiate these

tough heats first and then they can look forward to the final on Friday.

Laura Weightman, you coached here, when you sat down with her, how did

you prioritise these two championships? Was Commonwealth more

important? I don't think we prioritised one over the other.

There was too short a gap between them. We said that she should try to

qualify first of all. Getting into the team was not going to be

straightforward. We decided not to put all of our eggs into an early

basket. You get yourself in shape when championships are so close

together and it is great to win a silver medal in the first one

because you come to this one full of confidence. It would not have been

as easy a job if that had not happened. Let's talk about the way

the energy is returned, Steve Cram mentioned it. Can it make a

difference? I would like to think so. This track surface has quick

times and jumping, you get that rebound off the track and you always

feel like you are floating, you do not expend energy going down into

the floor. This track, they have made modifications. People seem to

like it. Interesting to see how the hurdlers handle it. These 1500 metre

runners will not have the same problem. Let's get back to Steve

Cram. Laura Muir in this first heat, essentially a semifinal.

The first heat has Laura Muir against one of the gold medal

favourites. To be fair, if Laura conducts

herself as she has done for most of her season, she should be fine. It

is always difficult on a morning. It was Mr Buckley who went for that

phrase. The warmer track is downtown and they have had to get up early

and go from there hotels and go to the warm up track downtown and do

that and then come on a bus to the track here and doing little more

warm up downstairs. This first morning, everybody getting use to

those conditions, preparing for your race.

This is not always the best time of the day to run at your best so you

have to be mentally on top of things. I am sure Laura Muir and her

coach will be putting Glasgow behind them. She will be hungrier than most

to do well here. Good conditions. We think there is absolutely no wind

here today. A good morning. Good morning to Brendan foster. We have

two contrasting thoughts about the English and British athletes.

Laura Muir is right in the middle of the pack running sensibly. The pace

looks pretty easy and comfortable. But she is coming out of the Common

of games with a bit of a burden. She did not finish well. -- the

Commonwealth Games. They are all looking and watching

for the favourite. A pretty dominant start to the year. You just do not

panic. Laura needs to settle when things like that happen.

The Russians have been quiet so far in 2014.

Laura Muir giving herself a chance on the outside.

Laura Muir breaking that long-standing Scottish record of Eva

Marie's. You can see Aregawi, but I think Laura Muir is running a

sensible race but she has to hold it. The whole field is beginning to

gather. The Russian looking pretty good. Laura Muir is getting boxed a

little bit. She is finding some room. They have to be careful here.

Aregawi looking comfortable. Laura Muir has worked herself from a good

position, coming down the home straight. Once again, she is finding

the long way round. Now she has to go for it. Laura Muir will have to

really be strong over the last 200 metres.

The Ukrainian can finish quickly. Top four only will be guaranteed

through to the final. Laura Muir has to find something in the home

straight. Aregawi looks comfortable. These will be the first four to

qualify easily. Laura Muir will finish in six place. Poor Laura

Muir. She is not out yet but just look at her. She was all over the

place. It is difficult in slow races, it is difficult to know where

to put yourself. You just have to not panic and I think she did panic

a little bit once or twice. It is pointless looking at times, you have

to be in a good position and give yourself a chance in the last lap.

She went from a good position to a bad position and had a lot to do and

could not find enough in the last 200 metres. There is the

disappointment for the moment. Aregawi controlling this race. Laura

Muir is 10th there, having been much closer. Much easier and much more in

the race. Now she is running long on the outside, weigh on the outside,

the race happening in front of her. At this point, Laura Muir is coming

down the back straight but look at Aregawi, just strolling. You would

rather be where Aregawi is. Band where Laura Muir is. -- van where

Laura Muir is. First four to qualify. And then the four fastest

losers. She will be a very nervous bystander when it comes to watching

the second heat. Aregawi looking in control and comfortable. She wins

her first heat of the women's 1500. Laura Muir at that point giving

herself... There is a little bit of a stumble, which is what happens in

1500 metres. She looked as if she was accelerating there but she

fades. Terzic alongside Aregawi. She was one of the favourites for the

Commonwealth Games, Laura Muir, and she was so disappointed in that race

and it is difficult to shake off disappointment in a race like that,

especially in your hometown. You gave it your all but it was not

the result you wanted? No. I was close a couple of times to falling.

the result you wanted? No. I was close a I will have to wait until

after the second race. What is it like when you are in that kind of a

race, still gaining experience all the time, is it something you think

you need to progress with, not to panic in certain situations? I

thought I kept pretty cool but it was quite slow and it was bunched

up. I am here to learn. This is Mike second year of competition -- my

second year of competition. It is completely different when you are by

yourself in single file. To have eight or nine people bunched up

together, it is very different. I just have done enough to get

through. We wish you well. Thank you. I think she knows the pace of

that race makes it a long shot but she will still be in there for the

final. We will look forward to the second heat.

Laura Weightman, one of the top of four, quickest in Europe this year.

Going quickly to the line. Hannah England goes here, along with Laura

Weightman. Just an example of what can happen.

The athletes become stretched out through the diamond league season,

and championship racing is very different, very tactical at times.

They know what time they have to look for here. Hannah England in

second place. Laura Weightman back in about seventh or eighth place.

The first four will go through automatically. They are already

running as if they were they the -- they are already running. In much

better race this time than the first round. There is Laura moving

through. She had just seen Laura Muir. This is almost like a final.

The final is on Friday. The fastest lap, 68 seconds. Hannah England is

running well. Laura Weightman decides she wants to be a bit closer

and that is good movement. The way they are moving, it looks as if the

first four could easily, from this heat. The Polish champion does a bit

of pace making on the circuit herself. She is helping the rest of

them along. They are all in good positions at the moment. We talked

about Hassan and Aregawi, the two standouts athletes this year.

Assigned in the bright orange vest -- Hassan in the bright orange vest.

The Albanian, we mentioned before, " or the with -- she is in close

quarters. All in good positions at the moment. Hangeland likes running

the shortest way around which the -- Hannah England likes running the

shortest way around. Laura Weightman moving closely down the back

straight. shortest way around. Laura Weightman

moving closely down The EPO and the -- the Ethiopian athlete who is now

running for Holland, she is moving. They all moved quickly, England

moves quickly. Around the top bend, coming into the Straits. You have

got to be careful now and make sure you do not lose a good position. The

targets champion making a move on the outside will stop -- Turkish

champion is making a move on the outside.

They heat the bell. The sun looks good. This is the point in the race

-- Hassan looks good. Hannah England is in a good position. A few

athletes ahead of her, but she had to dig heat. England looks good and

Laura Weightman still has a bit to do. Hannah England has been in a

good position throughout the race. The Italian champion is in second

place. Hassan out in front, controlling this. Look at the

strength of the Dutch athlete there. Hannah England is going to have to

wait and see. Weightman goes through automatically. Hannah England,

despite being in fifth place, will go through as one of the fastest

losers, I am sure. Both of the English athletes safely through. The

pace of that one spells trouble. No further competition for Laura Muir.

She used her head. That was a very impressive performance. The

acceleration has already started. Look at Laura Weightman. She is

running strongly now. The race has gathered and that suits her style.

She looks to be more powerful, more strong in every sense, and doing

enough. She knows the time is good enough but she wants to be in the

first four. Hannah England goes through as the fastest loser. The

difference between them, that is what the games gives you, she is

running with confidence. That was a very good performance. Her coach did

a great job. It is a good race. Laura Weightman goes through as an

automatic qualifier. Not good news for Laura Muir. Laura and Hannah are

with me. Well done. You came through with ease. It was a bit messy out

there because it is so slow and everyone is pushing for positions. I

stayed relaxed and came through that last 200 metres to get in the

automatic spot. Knowing the first race was not so quick, what was your

mindset? It was a decent pace. She did not make it a decent pace.

Hassan made that the big move. It was an opportunity. I just try to

feel good in the last 100. Did you feel good overall? I did. I have had

time to recoup since the Commonwealth Games. I just try to

stay in position. I went home after the Commonwealth Games and got out

of that environment. I just wanted to go back to Leeds and chill out

and regroup. I feel ready to go again and I am looking forward to

the challenge. A couple of days until the final. Very best of luck

with that. Very impressive they are. It might be a battle for the minor

medals. All of the fastest losers are coming through from that second

heat. All of the qualifiers knowing through to the final, which is on

Friday. Hassan out in front. Aregawi and Hassan are the standout

athletes. Laura Weightman will be challenging them, I am sure. Sadly,

Laura Muir was in sixth place and will not go through to the final.

Colin Jackson has disappeared to the commentary box. I am left with Paula

and Denyse, which is lovely. To watch Laura Muir, it was really

heartbreaking, wasn't it? It was. It was really hard because she was so

mentally shook up by what happened in the Commonwealth Games. Then to

nearly stumble a couple of times just resurrected those memories. She

was tense. She had also run a lot of the race wide in lane two, almost in

lane three, but it was this stumble here as they went through the ballot

that really not her, and then she panicked. -- through the bell. If

she had stayed relaxed she could have maybe come back, but it is

understandable why she panicked. She is seeing another final run away

from her and she was tensing up and was not able to make up that ground.

She did not have the advantage that she had in the second semifinal,

when you know what she had in the second semifinal,

when you know time you are aiming for and what time you need to act.

-- need to get. All of the fastest losers came from the second

semifinal. To hide out there. Most era will be back after pulling out

of the -- Mo Farah will be back after pulling out of the

Commonwealth Games. Here are some experts from a recent interview. I

had a chipped tooth and it got infected and I had some pain and I

went for a run and I came back and I collapsed in the bathroom. I was

knocked out. I was in so much pain in my stomach and they had to be

airlifted to the main hospital. They thought something was wrong with my

heart. It was crazy. I was in hospital for four days. It must have

been scary. It was scary, but things happen. I'm just quite a lot of

running. I would love -- I lost quite a lot of running, but I would

have loved to continue and go to the Commonwealth Games. I did not want

to disappoint my fans but I was nowhere near ready. I did one track

session. Paula was there and she said, she was watching the track and

she asked if I was all right and if should stop, and for someone like

her to say that, she has seen it, and she said it was not right. It

took a lot out of me, and later on, I chose the easy option, which was

not fair, but she saw me struggle. It was disappointing. But if I am

going to turn up I have to be 100%. There must have been some sort of

misunderstanding. You and Mo Farah are very close. And we continue to

be so. I was disappointing when I saw that headline. He might have

seen the headline and not seen what I actually said, because he twisted

it a little bit. I never said he was choosing the easy option, I just

said it was an easier race here, certainly. He had longer to get over

the problems, and when he was doing that session, he needed to decide,

was he coming into here, and he was running tired, it was from the

stress of the illness, and he was trying to recover the few days that

he had lost, and he had time to do that. I was just surprised, and he

was disappointed because he had not managed to get back into good

shape, but he had already pulled out. I am sure that little

misunderstanding will be cleared up. I suppose the bigger issue is that

he doesn't seem quite fragile. The struggle he does -- he seems quite

fragile. He is the double European champions. It happens a lot, they

get into some injuries, all being unwell, and the defences do come up.

It is scary. Yes, to get suddenly airlifted out. To have all of those

concerns about your health. Then it becomes not even about getting wed

either championships, it is making sure you are OK and healthy as a

person. Then you can focus on whether you can come and compete.

That is the men's 400-metre hurdles heats. COMMENTATOR: No British

competitors in this one. The first four go through

automatically and then the four fastest losers.

Broz of the Czech Republic is in the outside lane.

This is a fairly open a fairly open affair this year. They are moving

along strongly at the moment. Puemi taking most of the cheers from

the crowd. Kanervo still going strongly. It

might be a fierce battle for the minor places. The tall German coming

through. It will be Broz from the Czech Republic... Colin Jackson, we

thought Kudryavstev... Because it is so open, these guys are literally

competing from the tape. -- until the tape. The Russian showing he is

in good shape. We will continue to chat a little

bit about Mo Farah. The marathon training, it would seem, not

understanding it well, but it has had a real impact on him? I think it

has had an impact but I think a good impact. He was in phenomenal shape

over the winter and that strength carried onto the summer. We will see

that when he comes out and races that he is in good shape. But he

took a knock mentally and physically, from the illness. From

not being able to go to the Commonwealth Games as well. He would

have been sitting at home worrying about his health and watching the

race and wanting to be dead but that the same time, not wanting to put

himself on the line unless he is 100%. -- watching the race and

wanting to be there. The evidence does not seem to be that he was in

amazing shape. If you saw the training he was doing in Kenya, he

was in good shape. And he ran in marathons, there are few people who

can do what he does. He did hit some problems coming into the race but

the block of training he did over the winter was probably the best

volume and intensity of training he has ever done. So he would have come

out stronger, but he did struggle with a calf injury coming into

London. He did not run as well as he wanted to do. But he still ran well

I think. But that was another mental blow. He came in expecting him to be

right up there. But that did not happen. So that was already

something mentally to get over. Then he gets back into training and he

collapses. I think he is a little bit lost mentally now, he does not

have that aura of confidence that we have seen him having previous years.

He is not the same Mo Farah, joking and laughing around and being

himself. He is looking for himself a little bit. Hopefully he will find

it here. Because he has been so successful, people expect him to

just walk onto the track and just be victorious. Like you say, you have

to learn how to run a marathon and that takes a little while. I think

maybe, the guard is up a little bit. The criticism from the press

perhaps, twisting things, like Paula said, it makes an athlete feel

tense, that they are battling. I have experienced it. You close off a

little bit because they always has to be that self-preservation to make

you do what you do best and that is function in the heat of the moment,

on the track, and make decisions that are the best decisions for your

sport. It was tough for him because the week before he ran his

marathon, there was a comparison with him and another athlete who was

running well. I hardly got knocked off kilter? I think that if he had

not been ill and he had been able to race this track season as he

normally would have progressed, he would have been fine. It has taken

it out of him. And then feeling as if you are a little bit criticised

and you close yourself off and you feel attacked and that takes more

energy. What he needs to do is get out there and do what he does best.

Quick question, can you run a really fast marathon and run a fast 100

metres? Aberdeen not within a couple of weeks. But -- probably would not

within a couple of weeks. I believe he will go faster and

build towards that but he will probably lose some of that 1500

metres speed but right now, he is still the best in the world. Let's

get back out on the track. Steve Cram.

COMMENTATOR: This is the result of the first heat.

Andrew? Broz goes through automatically. We will come back to

some of that, more going tomorrow night. Women's 10,000 metre final

tonight. This very open 400-metre hurdles event. Felix Franz.

Thomas Barr showing great form. But watch out for Felix Franz. He really

has a chance of taking this title. Thomas Barr started well. Franz a

little bit slower. There is Franz. Thomas Barr started very well

through this first 200 metres. Colin will tell us after, you really

cannot take it easy in the 400-metre hurdles. You have to go out there

and run hard. The young German has a lot of work to do. Thomas Barr going

well. Here comes Franz coming through. Thomas Barr going well. The

Russian might have just got fourth. That was a contrasting race. Thomas

Barr, a little bit more experience, went out really hard. We know the

sort of athlete Franz is. He came storming down the home straight to

finish second. Well done Thomas Barr. The German run very

cautiously. He did the right thing to qualify.

He will have studied the form and he knows his opponents. He knew what he

could produce. Thomas Barr, the young Irish lad, I was watching his

stride patterns, very comfortable 13 strides around hurdle six. I think

he has lots of potential and he is pretty decent on the flat four as

well. If he can blend that hurdling technique with maturity and speed on

the flat that he is demonstrating, the young lad has a future.

These are the athletes that made it successfully through to the final

later on this afternoon. David Storl leading the qualification. He is the

favourite defending from two years ago. Watch out for Majewski, double

Olympic champion. Lesnoy, at the bottom, one of the highly fancied

athletes. A lifetime best of 61 metres plus.

That looks good, good space on the line. Beyond qualification I think.

Just shy of 60 metres. She qualified for the Olympic final in 2008. Now

26 years of age. Often said to be the pride for javelin throwers. No

real wind to speak of. The javelin should fly. That is auto qualifying.

She can take her spikes off. And go and rest ready for the final. She is

up Thursday so two days rest. Slightly unusual.

Thomas Barr joining me here. I have not had a race in a couple of weeks.

It shows, I came out to get to the round in the final. Into the semis

tomorrow. Qualification was not too bad. There are five heats and four

fastest from each one so I knew God vocation today would not be too

bad. -- so I knew qualification today would not be too bad. You

cannot slow down too much, you have to attack each hurdle. If you get

your stride pattern wrong, it could be the difference between places if

you really mess it up. The only time you can use up in the last 40

metres. We look forward to seeing you next round.

It is Hanna Hatsko-Fedusova from the Ukraine. That is too close to the

line. She had to bail out on that. 67 metres plus, a huge lifetime best

and goes in as one of the contenders, but she will have to

sort her run-up out and give herself some space. Cut that short. She is

certainly capable of a lot more. Barbora Spotakova, what can she do

first attempt? That looked very controlled and very comfortable.

Drops in very precisely. That is impressive. She had a year out last

year to give birth to her first child. Yannick. She says she feels a

sense of responsibility as a mother and she is through to the final. We

move on to the third of five heats in the men's 400-metre hurdle. There

is Rojer for Great Britain. -- Sebastian Rodger. Steve was talking

a moment ago about the youngsters, Thomas Barr and the Frenchman,

Franz, a lot of 22 and 23-year-old 's who are looking to make an

impact. They may well be the favourites. I think the favourite

might be the Estonian at the top. He is in Lane 1, not a great lane

for the favourite. champion. There is Rodger. A lot of

the finalists are going to be contenders for medals. The Hungarian

finished second in the Hungarian championships this year, behind his

rather. There is Magi. Lane two on the inside, not quite as tight as

lane one. Four will go through automatically to the semifinals. You

cannot take it too easily in the hurdles.

The first four will go through automatically to the semifinals.

This will be a fiercely contested hurdles because there is not one

standout. Magi has been running so well this season. Rodger is leaving

himself a bit too do here. He is beginning to make a bit of a move

here around the bend. Magi looking comfortable but going very strong.

Rodger is stepping up a bit. He is moving into a good position. It will

be a battle for fourth place. Rodger in there to take third place. He

eventually came through. The Polish athlete looked very strong. Magi

looked very comfortable, but Rodger has done what was necessary to get

through. The key thing is to qualify and he did that very well indeed. I

am pretty sure he will be pleased with third place. It is important to

feel what the conditions are like. You are battling against the

barriers and your opponents, but also the conditions. A strong wind

can affect your stride pattern and that is crucial to your performance.

A cracking season last year. Got very close to that 49 second

barrier. Not so sharp this year, but I think he enjoys this type of

competition, because there is no clear favourite and this is an

opportunity to raise his game. He looks his lead leg over the barriers

and that could cause a bit of a Rob, . If you click one -- a bit of a

problem if you clip one. You could end up falling. It will get really

serious tomorrow in the semifinals, but Rodger will be there. Have --

Magi managed to just sneak through. Rodger safely through. COMMENTATOR:

how was that? I work hard this week. I tried to rectify problems

and it seems to have clicked. I am looking forward to tomorrow. You

will have to up your game. It will be a bit more cut-throat. I am just

happy. I can really concentrate on tomorrow. The Commonwealth Games, I

did not want to let people down, so why am happy to have the opportunity

here. We wish you all the best for tomorrow. Thank you. COMMENTATOR:

well done to Rodger. You are just joining us, there was disappointment

for Laura Moore or, who did not make it through, but Hannah England and

Laura make -- Laura Muir did not make it through, but Laura Weightman

and Hannah England did. There is a bit of work for Rodger to do. You

can see that his hurdle technique, he just seems to roll his leg a

little bit, and it throws him off balance on landing. He is losing a

lot of time over the hurdles. We know he is good on the flats, but

that he gets to rip with his technique, -- grip with his

technique, his time could really calmed down. He is making that

transition into the senior ranks. There is a lot to be and proved

here. One men who has come through massively this year is Neil

Flanery. This is a real opportunity for him. Absolutely. He has already

taken one big step up this year and he will be coming in, riding high,

and hopefully negotiating the rounds safely and producing big results. It

is a mindset change for an athlete to go into the Championships. A year

ago he thought perhaps this was a dream and now we have a chance of

getting on the podium. He missed out on a medal in the Commonwealth Games

will stop his --: Commonwealth Games. He will have looked at the

rankings, he is confident. He is ranked second in Europe and he knows

there is an opportunity. I love his attitude and the way he competes.

Fingers crossed for him this morning. We have talked about the

issue of stride pattern. You cannot take it too easy. There is the

mascot. I am not sure what he is called. We might see some towels in

the studio later on. This has all gone horribly wrong. I am not

digging you out of that whole! If you have been in Z?rich the last

couple of years, the mascot has been a big fixture, and he has driven

everybody bananas. As mascots go, he is good, one of the best, and he

never stops working. I don't know how he keeps his weight on. He is

somebody that the people in Z?rich will know very well indeed. Back to

business. Flanery, there he is will stop a great start or Hammett this

season and then he lost his way into the beds and iPods he -- dare he is.

A great start for him this season and then he lost his way. His

training partner Tom Burton goes in the final heat will stop should be

-- heat. It should be fairly straightforward for him. There is

the new champion, 20 years of age, not a junior anymore. We have the

Championships recently in Eugene and a few people have come over from

them. He is 20 now, Al-Qaeda the Junior ranks. -- he is now out of

the Junior ranks. The big tall Serbian had such a

great year last year. Just looking for Flanery to

negotiate here. Flanery could be woken up a little

bit. He is judging in the race well. He just manages to pick himself up

again. Striding into the last hurdle. Flannery finishing much

better. 49.78, very good indeed. Bekric went off so hard and we saw

what he can do. He was brilliant last year. I wonder if he will be a

danger. I think he was a little bit excited. Well done, Flannery. At the

Commonwealth Games, Flannery really struggled in that first round. He

performed very well in the final. He ran a far more controlled race here,

no panic whatsoever when people came up on him from the outside or

inside, and he won that race perfectly well. He judged it well.

Really pleased he has gone in at 49 seconds, because that is a mental

breakthrough for a lot of these athletes. Coming into these

championships with 48.8, and the defence of his performance in the

Commonwealth Games, I think that sets him up nicely. Semifinal, and

hopefully, the final. This is the first attempt of Jelaca

to go beyond qualification. Way beyond it. Beyond the 60 metres.

There is no-one that we have seen so far go beyond that line. It looks as

though the 24-year-old Serbian has put a place in the final. She has

booked her place successfully there, it would seem. That is a league

qualifier. -- league qualifier. One more heat to come. I am sure Tom

Burton got a good view of that one. The Russian just about got rounds. A

personal best for the finish it seems like this has worked

perfectly today. I just had to run a race that IT was good to get into

the top two, to get a cut that short I just knew that I had to run a race

that was good to get into the top two. I was happy with that. It is

supposed to be horrible tomorrow but nothing I have not run in before. I

was just chilling out and then putting the burners on. I am happy

with it. A nice, controlled race. We wish you well. COMMENTATOR: there is

the mascot again. With reference to my previous comments about towels in

the studio, this is what I meant. He makes a noise! Let's forget about

that. A great performance from Flannery. He did not panic, he ran

smoothly, then a bit of a burst on that last hurdle just to make his

presence felt. I am sure he has taken a great deal of confidence

from his performance at the Commonwealth Games. You see that

little bit of acceleration. Just knowing that you are going to come

through and qualify, just put a little bit in there to show the

others that you mean business. Just a quick word on dye green. Get well

soon. Torrid times. It is back to back injuries, illnesses, being

unwell, and not able to show the caliber of athlete that he really

is. You do not put down the times that he has run with that sort of

pedigree, and the job now is to find his confidence. Have a run of being

free of injury and get some training under the belt and get back on the

track and let people know that he is not finished by any stretch of the

imagination. He has had so many years now where he has not had to do

that work. He is going to come back from so many knocks. He has got

himself out, he went to the Olympics, and he went there and

David absolutely everything, and the amount of Chaco and he gave it

absolutely everything -- and he gave it absolutely everything. You have

got to feel for what he has been through.

There is Tom Burton going in the final heat and the men's 400 metres.

All of the mascots now feel they have to raise their game! That is

some serious overacting going on! He is going to injure himself, or

herself, I do not know who is in their! -- there.

Tom Burton has one of the quickest times this season in this line-up.

Right, Tom Burton, second in the UK Championships, but find Flannery. --

behind Flannery. Lane 8, not a dreadful lane for the hurdles.

Fernandez of Spain in three. The Belgian champion in Lane 5. Good

hope for the home nation in Lane 6, Hussain. Four to go through

automatically and the fastest loser, at the moment, is from Russia.

Tom Burton running a patient race at the moment.

Burton has Hussain inside and alongside him at the moment. He must

not panic, Burton. He must run his own race but Hussain running very

strongly at the moment. Tom Burton in a good position, third at the

moment. Just hitting that hurdle and looking around and seeing that he

can do it, Hussain ambling across the line. Tom Burton again, safely

through. Good performance, nice to see all of our boys through to the

next round. But everybody will have to step up, that semifinal. Good

victory from the Swiss. The home advantage, we saw that help athletes

in London. This is a very open competition, Hussain will certainly

be one we need to watch. He has been pretty good all season. Great stuff

by the Swiss athlete. Tom was in Lane 8, a difficult one to run in

hurdles, because you do not train very much in those very far outside

lanes. So it can affect your stride pattern. It is very crucial. He just

clipped that barrier, it did not affect in too much, he kept focused

and did not throw his shoulders back. A little bit more of a grimace

and he lent back, off his guard, but he still had the opportunity to

check his position. We will see you next round pond. -- Tom. Pole vault

qualification. This may be the height that sorts

out the finalists. Just 12 athletes. To go through to the final on

Thursday. A very good clearance for the defending champion, four metres

and 60 at her best this season but has jumped four metres and 76 from

last year. Looking very comfortable indeed. First-time clearance.

This athlete from Greece looking to match that clearance. Two

consecutive Paul's of athletes. That is another good clearance.

Let's just confirmed the qualifiers from the first heat of the 400-metre

hurdles. Let's just confirmed the qualifiers

from the first heat of the Hussein looked very good, a decent time, he

just rolled across the line. Burton went through in third place.

These are the qualifiers that moved through to the semifinals tomorrow.

Flannery safely through, as was Sebastian Rodger. Tom Burton also

safely through as an automatic qualifier.

Like if you British guys before you, you took that with ease and it

looked like a comfortable performance. It felt comfortable, I

was a little bit on top of the hurdles down the back straight. How

were your nerves? I felt really up for it weirdly. I expected to be

more nervous. Talking of tomorrow and what you will need to do, it

goes up another notch. It does, they are good guys out there. I will

speak to the coach and watch it back and analyse. Watch where I went

wrong. The time was not too bad. There is definitely a bit more in

there. Well done Tom Flannery, and

Sebastian Rodger and Tom Burton. see our boys doing well. Let's hear

from the British number one, Asha Phillip. I told myself I was going

to do two championships so I prepared myself to do both. My body

has held up well luckily because I told myself I can do it. I did get a

personal best. I was happy I was able to compete with those girls in

the final. I always stick to a plan but I noticed this Commonwealth, a

lot of things changed through the week of my training and through the

competition. Me and my coach will take that through to this

competition and it seems to be working so far. What happens with me

is that I learn on the go. Every year something

is that I learn on the go. Every year new and I say, I will take this

on to next year. What went right here was my start, my MPs to be

better, what do I need to do next and better in the next race? I am

hoping this week will show all of the hard work. STUDIO: Asha Phillip

goes into the Heat 3. It has been good to see Asha get into the form

we know she can have. Yes and her coach has done a great job with that

young lady, Christine Bal maker -- Christine Bowmaker. She has got her

confidence to get where she needs to be to compete at this level. As she

said, she is able to improve round by round. She makes those little

mistakes, maybe she has not come out of the blocks very well, but she

seems to correct herself as she goes. We normally see the best of

her in those finals. In terms of world terms, perhaps, but those

girls will not have it easy. Two very good Dutch women.

world terms, perhaps, but those girls will not have it Dafne

Schippers also in very good shape and probably one of the favourites.

A heptathlete. Remarkable how quick she is running. She is. Her coach

advised her to just go with it and advise it and to have an opportunity

to win D1 amateur 100 metres in these championships so good luck to

her. We will go to Heat 1 with Andrew Cotter.

COMMENTATOR: We will see a few athletes, greater favourites than

the British athletes. Samuel and Pinto in Lane 7 as well.

Busy morning here in the Letzigrund Stadium. Women's pole vault.

We have seen two athletes go clear. That looks solid. Tidy. Simple

technique. And a good clearance. Just looking at the plant, the

athlete rocks back and drives the feet up skywards and then pushes

hands and goes over the bar. Athletic power, agility, speed. A

wonderful display. She is one of two very capable Greek

pole vaulters. Her team-mate also a huge contender here for the title.

Well clear, look at the height achieved there. Way over that

marker. Automatic qualification is four metres 50. But speculation is

that there are not many athletes going clear on the first attempt. So

maybe this title sort out the top 12. -- so maybe this height will

sort out the top 12. That was a good first-time clearance.

Just about ready for this first round heat in the women's 100

metres. Dafne Schippers taking all of the headlines for the

Netherlands. Four to go through automatically

plus the four fastest losers. Switzerland have a winner to

celebrate. The time of that, 11.32. All right, calm down! We will see a

lot of that row in these championships. -- that cow. Pinto

did not look that impressive. A national record for Switzerland.

What happens to Samuel? A great talent, but she just squeezed

through. Never quite got into it. You would expect someone like that

with that pedigree, what of the fastest, you would expect of them to

be better. Mayer, looking very good. The Frenchman with a lifetime best

in the long run. A season's best of 33. Fourth in Moscow last year, and

a very good start. Close to his PB. He looks pleased. A new lifetime

best, and he puts his marked out and says, come and catch me. Ashley

Bryant a little bit later on. A slightly disappointing start, not as

quick as they would have hoped he would run. He did not run

particularly well. A lot of these athletes have mentally prepared and

this is their big championships. Mayer is definitely one of them. We

know that the French are very good at their pole-vault. He made some

strides in that area. Dafne Schippers, unusual to see a

multi-event athlete running such world-class speeds. She has been

displaying an electric speed this year. It is incredible. She trains

really hard. I know her training group. She has grown in such

confidence in the last couple of seasons. I think it bodes well. She

is enjoying printing at the moment. -- sprinting. The Dutch are really

celebrating the form of this young women. What should we expect for

Henry and these championships? I don't know. She was fourth in the

world Junior championships. A lot of optimism around her. She was one of

the torch bearers at the Olympics. A lot to look forward to in terms of

prospects, but we have not seen her recently, and I would like to gauge

how she moves and how she is feeling for these championships. Another

athlete we will see who is a double world champion, Morgan Lake, and

they have the Avalon, and also in the high jump will stop -- in the

Avalon and also in high jump. I think, she is only 17, and she still

has enough time to double up at the Championships, and they are never

easy, and I think she has made a sensible decision to come here and

feel this environment and see how she gets on. A great crop of young

sprinters here. Henry is just 18. Look down at the ranking list. Dafne

Schippers, a great performance this year in Glasgow.

She cannot run for events on the she can on the run three. Henry needs to

be on the case here. She should be fine. Emily one of the slightly more

difficult heats -- probably one of the slightly more difficult heats.

The French women might be one to watch. The Swiss just watched her

team-mate run very well. They are hoping their sprinters can do well

here. It might be difficult against Schippers and Henry. Top four go

through. A terrible start for French.

Schippers looks excellent. 11 point 11 -- 11.11. Not phased by being

right beside one of the growing stars. Qualification was the most

important thing and she did it very well. That went pretty good to me.

It looked good from about 30 metres. She did not have the best

start. For Henry, good running, I am watching what she is doing, slightly

chasing at the end. That comes with experience. She will just go with

the flow. A good performance, excellent time. I think this young

lady may get closer to that 11 second mark. She is close enough as

it is. The way she is running, and that performance in Glasgow, the

track is quick, a slight breeze, and we will not be sure about conditions

until later on, but I am sure she will be close to 11. This is the

first time she has come into the Championships as a favourite, and

that will affect her mentally, because people will be expecting

things. How she deals with the pressure, only time will tell. This

is the European leader in terms of height to clear this season.

She starts her fourth bed at the European jam in chips. A good

clearance there. She was eighth in the World Championships last year.

That is a very comfortable clearance indeed. A tremendous start to your

senior career. This is a whole different level. I have come into

the championship with no expectations whatsoever. I am so

thankful to have been selected for an individual. I am relaxing and

having fun with it. A couple of days I was doing starts with Dafne

Schippers and we told each other good luck, and she said I had an

amazing start, so that is a compliment. I am looking forward to

the next round. I am definitely happy. We are looking forward to

that. COMMENTATOR: how nice and polite! When you are 18, it is

great, every time you come out, your personal best is always in the air,

and she has got one there. Schippers looked very good indeed. Amy

Foster, just out of it. A great performance from Henry. The

first major championships as a senior. She looked good. She has got

great physique and she uses her legs really well. A new personal best is

ink rideable. I was not sure what she would do here, -- is incredible.

I was not sure what she would do here, with her nerves. She has

watched Bianco Williams and Jodie Williams run brilliantly for the

Commonwealth Games. It was all on her to see whether she belonged in

this new caliber of British female sprinting, but she lived up to what

we know she is capable of, and she ran really well. An interesting

point, this fact of the feeling at home in a major championship, it

does not always happen automatically. No, it does not, but

when you come as a youngster, there is not the huge pressure of

expectation, it is about coming in and having fun, and that is what she

did out there. Asha Philip on the line for heat number three. Fourth

at the world indoors, bronze in the relay. She is just beside the

European Champion four years ago. There is to drag each other a long

and it should be there he comfortable for them to qualify. The

Bulgarian in lane one, just fresh back from a doping band. Four to go

through automatically. The Ukrainian is looking nice. The

Bulgarian it takes the fourth place. Sale or just taking it ahead of Asha

Philip. A good performance by them both. We expect them both to qualify

comfortably. They had a nice little battle down the home straight. They

know they will be in serious contention later on. That winning

time was given to us. Dafne Schippers will be very hard to

beat. Asha Philip safely through. Those two on the outside. It has

been given to the Bulgarian in lane one. First and second place go to

Verena Sailer and Asha Philip. You had to walk up quite a few steps to

join me. I am so tired! Thank you for doing that. I'm sure people will

not criticise me for speaking to people when they are out of breath.

What does this do to your mentality at the start? I want to attack every

round. It was really good. Not too bad. I am happy with it. I don't

know what time my God, but I just hope I get a good lane in the

semifinals -- what time I got, but I just hope I get a good lane in the

semifinals. You came into your own. I am hoping it will all go well for

me. I run my own race and stay focused, and I can come out of here

with a medal or a personal best. All of the best for tomorrow.

COMMENTATOR:. Safely through. That is a long way behind Dafne

Schippers, though. Safely through, and perhaps more to come. The long

jump a very impressive. He has got a lifetime best of 7.58.

He has just run a personal best in the 100 metres. Readers may be more

to come from him. If you have ran a personal best in the 100, you'd

expect to do that in the long jump. There may be more to come from him.

7.25. Ashley Bryant, what do they get him

out of the 100 metres? Seven out of ten?

He looks good on the board. Silver medal last week at the com of

games. He puts on the British vest here. Looking to get amongst the

medals. -- the Commonwealth Games. Tiredness can not be a factor. It

doesn't -- does not look like it is what is needed. 7.21. Back to the

pole vault. Second attempt for the Russian. She jumped a personal best

to win the Russian Championships this summer.

Under pressure, coping with it well, good plan. I do not know why the

first attempt was a foul. There's a lot to think about and the pole

vault, possession of the bar, speed on the runway. -- position of the

bar. She is clear on our second attempt at 4.35 metres.

It is pretty busy at the top end, the pole vault was on and also the

shot put. The women's 100 metres is out for heat four.

four that go through. Not the strongest of the heats. Most of the

heats have two or three contenders. This morning, with the sun shining,

the first time on this track, it is nothing more than a breeze. Pretty

good conditions. These might be the best conditions we get all week. The

weather forecast is not brilliant to be honest. The women's final is

tomorrow night. They have the semifinals and then the final. It

will probably be cooler than it is today.

11.03! . That could come down, Colin. What a run. That was flat

out. To me, that was flat out. That equals the best in Europe this year.

If we did not know already that she was a contender, she has underlined

it there. She got a decent start. When you are really a 200 metres

specialist that has stepped down, she has really surprised everybody

by banging out that performance. That could be part of our plan. She

wants to see what she could do at this time in the morning in a one

off race. She could go a little bit quicker in the final. She could be

testing herself out. What a way to test yourself out, 11.03, equalling

the European leader. She has been running very well in the last few

weeks and it proves she's a big contender for the gold medal here.

very strong German contenders for a medal. He ran below 11 seconds in

the 100 metres. This is his first attempt at the long jump. That was

good on the board. You could hear that. It looks very good indeed. He

is looking very impressive. 10.90 in that 100 metres. He transferred his

speed well. It could be a lifetime best. That was decent technique. He

looked pleased. 7.55 metres and a personal best for the German. The

three Germans are having a ball. Here is another one of them. Rico

Freimuth. He was the fastest of all of all the athletes and that 100

metres. His first attempt in the long jump. He looks steady on the

approach, controlled. He did not unleash the speed that we saw taken

out to that very quick time in the first of the ten events. The Germans

are very strong in all of the technical events as you would

expect. Rico Freimuth with a lifetime best of 7.55. 7.34, a

slight improvement on his first round and it equals his season 's

best. Steve Backley, what about the design of those nice spotlights as

we frame nicely the results. With that 11.03, that was very quick but

we will mention the spotlights later.

We have seen some heats of the women's 100 metres. Myriam Soumare

arry ran very heart and was the pick of the bunch. She looked great. I do

not know why she felt she needed to run so hard. It was a brilliant run

from half. That was in contrast to Dafne Schippers who was very

relaxed. She was within herself and she had more to Dafne Schippers who

was very relaxed. She was within herself and she had more together.

Dafne Schippers does not have an electric start, she does her running

towards the end of the race. We have seen that from our time and time

again. Because she is such a good 200 metres runner we do not worry.

At this point we would have expected her to shut down and he's off, maybe

in the back of her mind that she wants to show that heptathlete that

she is not going to come here and run away with this. I am here for

business. What more athlete will like is somebody coming from another

event and starting to shake things up? You will feel the challenge and

feel that you want to put the markdown, Mark your territory. Heat

five? I am really loving Ashleigh she is, quick and confident. It is

Ashleigh Nelson being introduced. Ivet Lalova is the other contender

for the medals here. 11.49 is the fastest time for Phil Healy. The

fastest of the losers is 11.52. That should not be a concern for Ashleigh

Nelson. Four go through automatically.

Ivet Lalova not as quick as the other seats. Ashleigh Nelson safely

through. Ivet Lalova not as quick as the

other seats. Ashleigh Nelson She normally explodes out of the blocks

but she took time, she ambled out of the blocks. She literally just

floated through this 100 metres. Ashleigh Nelson ran very well

indeed. It would not surprise me if she ran a personal best. 11 point

19. Very good on this track. -- 11 .19. Celine Distel-Bonnet goes

through automatically as well. What a run for Ashleigh Nelson. That is a

second personal best for a British athlete this morning. Fantastic, I

am delighted for her. You heard time and again in athletics, great

Junior, full of promise, lost Highway. 11.19, fantastic. It did

not look quick. She came through nicely towards the end. It is a new

personal best. What is great to see, all the three of the athletes

were comfortable in this environment. You need to feel at

home and show you belong here. Negotiate the rounds with getting an

eye to the best performance in the final.

Well done. A new personal best to start off. 11.19. Wicked. I wanted

to run the first 40 and Sievert was, make it through to the next round.

This could be a fast-track, it is proving to be so, what did it feel

like? I raced on this track last year and they have changed it.

Faster people make a fast tracks, so I will stick with that. Good

psychology. Tomorrow, you need to step it up but there's more to come.

I feel really good. Coming off the back of the Commonwealth Games,

winning a bronze medal in the relay, that is a boost. I want to see if I

can do something on my own individually.

The result of that final heat in the women's 100 metres. Eve yet --

Yvette Lalova safely through, the defending champion. Ashleigh Nelson

goes through automatically. These are the qualifiers for the

semifinals tomorrow night. Phil Healy sadly missed out. Goldie

Sayers has an eye on that, she is getting ready to qualify in the

javelin. Let us hear from her. You have the honour of being the

team captain when the British team has got a great buzz around it, it

doesn't make your job easier? Yes, it is a huge honour. That is what

everybody says. It is a privilege to be back in the

team to see -- so to see it as an added bonus is understating it. It

has been quite nerve wracking. I am pretty nervous about it. It is

mainly because you know it is an honour to do it, to make the speech.

I think I will go the speech. I think I will have learned in the

last two years. For me, it is giving me more perspective on my career and

my life in general than any other time that I have been competing. I

have been competing for Great Britain since I was 15. I have

learned a tremendous amount but never as much as in the last two

years. Athletes talk about injury all the time and it gets boring but

I have torn my catheter twice. All of a sudden I feel fully fit. I

thought it was all over. -- Tom the muscle in my lower leg. Having said

that, I think it was the best thing now, I know my speed of release is

two metres per second quicker than that it has in my career, I am very

fast and just need to hit the right angles at the right time. It is all

about timing. It certainly is all about timing. Goldie Sayers going in

the qualification competition. 5750 is the level she has to reach. She

will probably do that. Steve Backley has joined us. Interesting to hear

Goldie Sayers talking there. She didn't quite get it right at the

Commonwealth Games. As she said, it is all about timing and she didn't

get it quite right in Glasgow. She said she was either going to throw

57 metres or 67 metres and unfortunately it was the former. In

qualifying, that 57 would get them through but she needs to tie her

arms and legs together. Her technique was out of sorts in

Glasgow but she needs to pull together her timing and get her legs

involved. She is very comfortable in this environment, a world-class

thrower. Given what happened at London 2012, perhaps she wants it

too badly and that might be the timing issue, she wants it too badly

and that might be the timing issue, she wanted to badly? In London 2012

she was in fantastic shape, she threw a British record just before

the games and she snapped a ligament in her elbow. She had no chance. She

went bravely, many thought that she shouldn't. Many thought it was a

career ending decision in the Olympics. Maybe she had doubt in her

mind, she was rusty going into Glasgow. Coming into championships,

your blood feels different. Adrenaline flowing through your

veins. She will have come to terms with what that feels like. She will

have unfinished business and needs to get into the final first of all

but at her very best is a contender. She needs that sense of calm and

mass. Not getting ahead of herself. You have got to stay calm but stay

aggressive. -- of calmness. It contradicts everything you have been

thinking about, rushing and going quick. You need to stay relaxed. It

is a real mixture of emotions and keeping an eye on your technique.

Here she goes. 57.50 is what she needs. That didn't look quite

together. 57.50 is the yellow line. Her legs strike, her arms are on the

move. There is no delay. Javelin throwing is almost like cracking a

whip. Her legs and arms are working together. She needs to find her

separation. She has an automatic qualification. She can take her

boots and walk away. That is an automatic codification and that is

OK to start. I wonder whether she might have another couple of throws.

Would she want to have a couple more throws? Maybe out the back but not

with anyone watching. These athletes have been on the bus this morning.

James Wilkinson at the team training track, I saw him doing some barrier

work. He said he enjoyed the Commonwealth Games experience. It

was a brave runner when he went with the pace and really attacked it. It

was a really big learning experience for him. He is in good shape. He has

thoughts of doing well. It is going to be a very open race. This man

surprised everybody back in 2006. A former champion. This is a man to

look for. Christians are left ski. -- Zalewski. Garcia has been around

a little longer. Tsenov of Bulgaria, just 21 years of age. He is the new

Bulgarian record-holder. That stood for 45 years. So it is Tsenov next

to James Wilkinson, of Leeds City. Based down in Loughborough. When

Foster is next to me in the commentary box. It was good to see

him attack it. He was on a record pace for the first three laps. He

didn't have an option, the Kenyans were running, what do you do? He has

taken a bit of confidence from that. I'm sure he has. He has been

impressive this year. To run 8.2 to four the steeplechase. The fastest

time by a British athlete for 20 years. He is really establishing

himself. The steeplechase has been the poor relation of middle and long

distance running in British athletics for a long time. He is

showing that with application and hard work and regular commitment you

can make progress. Obviously, the Kenyans put everybody else off

because they are so good but there is usually only three of them.

Sometimes they have for because they have a wild card. But James

Wilkinson is running well and I think he will do well today. Just to

clarify, it is the first five through. Watch for all those names I

mentioned. One man I didn't mention, the German, he is still their best

runner. He is towards the back. Happy just to hang back for these

first few laps and just click off. The decathlon on long jump just

continues. Chi Better on the board but there is

still more to come. He is highly fancied to take gold. The under 23

European champion. His first attempt was 7.25. Wonderful shots of what is

a very good leg shoot. Looking to pull himself into the mark that his

feet make. He is waiting for his mark. It is very good. Seven metres

and 68. Martina Ratej, the Slovenia representative is way beyond

qualifying. She has booked her place in the final. Way beyond 60 metres

there. Joining Britain's Goldie Sayers. Well done. I am not going to

ask any more stupid questions about the javelin. I will stick to what I

know. In the dark blue at the back, is somebody who is going to be a

danger, he has got good 1500 metres pace. Happy to let this early pace

go. I am just wondering what shape he is in. Just keep an eye on him

finishing quickly. Kowal.. The pace is not slow but it is not super

quick. We will come back to Brendan in a second. Back to the javelin.

One of the favourites, Linda Stahl from Germany. Ranking amongst the

season's best. She should be very comfortable. Oh no, it is a foul.

The right foot on the line. Minimum energy expenditure. That is what she

would have been after but she will have to go again. 2.55 opening 1000

metres. The whole field including James Wilkinson together. Coming

down the barrier in the home straight. They will see the lap

scorer. Now it is time to get serious. There are too many

therefore James Wilkinson to be comfortable. He has competed well

this year. He is beginning to put himself in a good place. Hurdling

well. He needs to be a little bit further up. He had a strenuous race

at the Commonwealth Games. Sometimes athletes can respond to a

championship like the Commonwealth Games, like James did, but sometimes

they suffer for it. Kowal coming up on the far side. Nasti in front, I

am sure he isn't. Lundgren of Sweden on the inside. Wilkinson has put

himself in a good position all the way. He gives himself a site of the

barriers and he knows with two laps to go when the kick-start starts to

go, he has every opportunity to follow with the kick. But there are

too many therefore comfort. Because these athletes don't get the chance

to race on the circuit with fellow athletes, they are not going to know

about the sprint finish. They will see them occasionally on the Diamond

league circuit. But often they cannot get on the Diamond league

circuit. It is one of the weaknesses of European athletics. James

Wilkinson needs to be careful. He is moving into a good place and will

have to battle hard to keep that place. When you get in that

position. Nasti is going back through the field. The Russian has

made a big move. Zalewski the big poll is in the front. Wilkinson is

fifth at them well. The German is one to watch. James Wilkinson has

got to be careful. He counted the athletes in front of him. He

realised, there is too many. There are four ahead of him. He will have

to work hard down the back straight. Kowal is looking good. Zalewski also

looking good. Just had a bit of a coming together with the German.

Head down for Zalewski at the front. James Wilkinson is struggling. He

needs to keep going because there are fastest losers spots. He does

not have the pace of these guys. Garcia has done that before!

Flattened out. He took the last barrier, not concentrating. He

hasn't got up. I hope he hasn't done himself a real injury. His race has

gone. Goodness me, in the European Championships he fell in 2012 at the

last hurdle and then got up and finished. I hope he is OK there. He

hit the ground flat. That was a terrible fall. He seems to be OK.

What a shame he was in a qualifying position. There they go across the

finishing line. Six of them through. Look at Garcia

Garcia was in a good place. He looks as though he is hot but he does not

look too bad to be honest. He must have winded himself. He went flat on

his front. Let us see if we can have another look at this. There are.

Coming round the bend towards the last water jump. James Wilkinson

coming under pressure. Garcia is six at this point. Readers Garcia moving

onto the outside. It was his trailing leg, just as he came into

contention with the German. I wonder if he was distracted, I wonder if

you looked across when you look to cross when they should have been

keeping his eyes firmly ahead? We could see a different angle. That is

James Wilkinson finishing. He hit his left knee and what a bang he

came down with. The RUC James Wilkinson looking to the side, he

sees the following athlete to does not help qualify. -- he sees the

athlete who has fallen. What a fall that was, it was horrendous. He

looks like he does not have too bad an injury. James Wilkinson, a very

good performance in the Commonwealth Games in fifth place. You need to

watch the next race as he James, hard work out there, you've

not been 100%. I have had a cold since the Commonwealth Games. I

thought I could be good for the heat. In the final I will be

perfect. It is just a matter of getting there. I felt wrath on my

chest was tight. I mean a lot of the right moves. -- I made a lot of the

right abuse. I think I was seventh because the Spanish guy fell. I have

got There are some decent athletes in

this heat. There are no British athletes going here.

Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad has been the man who has disrupted Kenyan

dominance. He is the winner of the last two European Championships. If

the controls the race like you should then I cannot see anybody

beating him. We are looking should then I cannot see anybody

beating him. We are at the clock because of James Wilkinson spine.

8.39.78. It will be interesting to see how the set. You are very

correct when you said disrupted the Kenyan domination. He gets in

amongst them and tries to disrupt the tactics. He is a terrific

athlete. He will try to win a European title at 1500 metres and

also at the steeplechase. You cannot have a steeplechase without a Kenyan

and the former Kenyan athlete is now representing Tuckey in the lead.

Ashley Bryant looking for some support here. Can they improve on

his opening attempt, 7.21? He may have done. He could be left wanting

for more. He is watching a group of athletes jumping lifetime bests,

personal bests, season 's breasts and extending the lead away from

him. Unless he can get into his own personal bests he will be in the

middle of the field. The Germans are flying. 7.39, it is an improvement.

We saw the German fowl on the first floor. Has she given herself some

space? It is enough to qualify. The yellow line is the automatic

qualification. It looks as if she is beyond the automatic qualification.

Last chance saloon for a Rico Freimuth. He is looking to improve

on his best. He was the fastest in the 100 metres. 7.34 in the second

round. Lead the way. Good technique, great possession, great

hang time. It is an improvement of two centimetres. 7.36. There are a

couple of strong Polish athletes in this round. You can see the tall

figure in the blue vest. He is very much at ease. Sitting comfortably in

the position he wants to be. He has got pregnant -- plenty of running in

him. This race is quicker than the first one which is not good news for

James Wilkinson. There are ten athletes in that group. They are

strong out a little. They are being led by Tarik Langat Akdag. The

Turkish athlete continuing to lead. Looking good and looking strong. The

groups are splitting out. 8.39.9 is the qualifying time. There's a group

of seven began beginning to separates itself. Mahiedine

Mekhissi-Benabbad is at the back of accurate. -- is at the back of that

group. Victor Garcia is a bit of a loss, he was the third quickest in

Europe this season. There is a tall figure, just striding along.

Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad is in about six police. He will begin to

put the squeeze on, make a move with a couple of laps to go. He now moves

into the automatic qualification places. He just moves through the

field, kicks off one after the other. There are a four athletes

ahead of him. He is in an automatic qualifying position. He is hurtling

well and running well. He is saving himself. I am excited to see what he

does in the 1500 metres. We were doing the arithmetic. We're looking

at that athlete and thinking about James Wilkinson. It will because.

They are stretching out a little bit as they kept bell. Down the back

straight, positions are settling and are being sorted. It is now just a

case of getting around. Do not compete to severely if you are in

the first five. You do not want to happen what happened in the last

round when Garcia was injured. This looks to be considerably quicker.

The ninth position is the key one for James Wilkinson. Up at the

front, looking for the first five qualifiers. The German and the

Polish athletes have done their work. It is now a race against the

clock. James Wilkinson sitting and watching. The two behind will be

automatically through. The Finnish athlete finished strongly and I

think he will knock out James Wilkinson. James Wilkinson will not

move through to the final. Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad did what he had to

do and he looks fresh. The group probably carry on and run the final

now. -- he could probably carry on. Bitter disappointment that James

Wilkinson did not make it through to the final of the steeplechase. There

was better news when they saw Goldie Sayers in the first round of

qualification for the javelin. It was not a throw that she was pleased

about but its lead over the automatic qualification line. -- it

sneak over. These printers will love that

suffers. It is very quick. These printers will -- the sprinters

will of that suffers. That'll was terrible but it is through. Job

done. The final to come. They have to ask you about last night because

you had to get the team captain speech. How was it? I think it went

pretty well. I was pleased with it. I have some people say nice things

afterwards. I had to switch off and go straight to bed. Switch off and

get up for this morning. However tricky it is out there, you just

have to go out there and deliver. It is extra energy and I have two

conserve it is today. If you give an excellent speech and perform

rubbish, it doesn't have the power. We wish you all the very best for

the final. All the very best to Goldie Sayers,. What do you make of

the Captain's role within athletics. Somebody like her would really

relished the opportunity. To get into the mix and have her say. She

has had a rocky road over the last couple of years. She has had her

injuries. She will have given a rousing speech, full of passion and

very matter of fact. She doesn't mince her words. She is honest. For

me, it is just one of those things. They seem to be revolving it and

changing it a lot. Which I don't get. It takes a lot of energy.

Public speaking is one of the most stressful things. Your team-mates,

marking you out of ten. It takes a bit of doing. To psych yourself

before that takes adrenaline and energy and giving a speech in front

of your team-mates. A lot of people will say that she is an

inspirational figure but she will look back at the room and take

inspiration from them as well. What she said is true, the best way to

lead the team is by example out on the field. Qualification is never

easy. It is difficult first thing in a morning. You struggled yourself.

It was wonderful to see that she smiled. It is wonderful to see her

smiling, I hope she can relax because she can launch one. Men's

400 metres qualification coming up. Matthew Smith is involved but he

does not go in this one. First we have the next heat of the 3000

metres steeplechase men. Alloh of the qualifiers for Thursday.

The overwhelming favourite goes through very easily. Zalewski, the

Polish athlete looked very strong. All of these athletes going through.

The Finnish athlete going through as fastest loser so James Wilkinson not

making it. A pity for James Wilkinson. Early morning, latest

morning, not suiting him today. Let's hope the 400 metres men are

wider weight and ready to go. -- wide awake. The three British

athletes. We look at Kevin Borlee, one of the twins. Five heats, the

first four to go through and the four fastest losers to the

semifinals tomorrow. Kevin Borlee is the best-known athlete here. Fifth

at the Olympic Games. The champion of Europe back in 2010. Storming

through to win ahead of his brother. 26 years of age now. The twins have

been very dominant. If you are a big follower of athletics. The man who

would have been the favourite, from the Czech Republic, he is not here

so it leaves the way open for the British athletes and probably the

brothers thinking of medals here. Qualifying first. The French athlete

in Lane 2, I would expect him to go well here. He ran well in the

European team championship, in the B race. He has started fast. Mame-Ibra

Anne following Kevin Borlee down the home straight. Daniel lemma check,

from Russia the other qualifier. -- Daniel Nemecek. He had picked up an

elbow injury falling over. I wouldn't write him off. He is going

to get better and quicker. No real surprises in that heat. Mame-Ibra

Anne and Kevin Borlee the only top ten runners in that heat. Going

through easily. A look at one of the best throws in qualifications. A

young thrower. The German 21-year-old. She joins Linda Stahl.

The Germans with very strong representatives across all throwing

events in the European Championships. She has booked her

place in the final. This is confirmation of the qualifiers. The

big throwers have all got through. The Olympic champion in fifth place.

Storl wrote also favoured to take the championship. -- Linda Stahl.

Two events, pleaded of the ten in the decathlon. Kai Kaczmarek is in

the lead. Bryant of Great Britain in 15th place.

We have been reminiscing about women's javelin qualification. 1986.

Fatima Whitbread broke the world record in qualification. I remember

her coming into the warm up area. We were very nervous because there was

a certain Petra Felk who could also launch it very far. We were worried

that she might achieve the world record and not win the European

Championship. But she did it with the second throw over. Can anyone

ever remember another world record in qualifying? I remember Wilson

doing it in doors after doing strides with me, so I am claiming

responsibility. We are all excited about Matthew Hudson-Smith. He has

had a meteoric rise to fame. He was brilliant at the trials but had that

cool disqualification. Just amazing Championships at the Cuomo Wealth

games. He was brilliant in the four x four. -- Commonwealth Games. He

had the legs of all legs. He is so fresh. He has two coming to these

championships and show what he is capable of. He is very innocent. It

is all very new to him. He is very nervous but when he steps on the

track, he was amazing. Such a mature runner for a young athlete. The

exact words that came to my mind. A very mature performance. He didn't

panic, he didn't accelerate. He just ran the race as a young man full of

confidence. He knows exactly who is behind him. At that point, when he

went through beyond the athlete from Trinidad, we were all saying, you

have gone too soon. He handled this very well indeed. He knew that Chris

Brown was going to come at him so he timed his lead very well. Thank you

very much. He is a quality athlete and we are going to enjoy watching

him for many years. He is not in this next heat. Back to the

commentary team. Before we get to that, let's round

up the result of the first heat. Kevin Borlee looking very good.

Pavel Trenikhin just nodding through for that final spot. Now to the

second heat. Jonathan Borlee goes in this one. No British involvement.

Richard Morrissey goes for Ireland. There has been a bit of disharmony