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dpaMunich Dutch star Femke Bol stormed to the European 400 metres title late on Wednesday and is now well-placed to complete an unprecedented title double in the 400m hurdles later in the week.No woman had ever attempted the two events at one championships while on the men’s side Norway’s Karsten Warholm missed double gold in 2018, winning the 400m hurdles but coming last in the 400m.Olympic bronze and world championship silver medallist Bol is streaks ahead of anyone else in the hurdles with a European record 52.03 seconds and season best 52.27 which makes her the overwhelming favourite for the final on Friday – although she must first get through the semi-final on Thursday.The 400m was the harder part for Bol but she lived up to the hype when she came out of the bend first and smashed her personal and national record with 49.44, taking .26 of a second off her previous mark of 49.75.She beat Poland’s Natalia Kaczmarek by half a second and another Polish runner, Anna Kielbasinska, took bronze.“I am very happy. I think that this race was harder than the 400m hurdles. I felt very confident today, as well as very strong,” Bol said.“This is my first gold medal at the outdoor championships,” the 2021 European indoor 400m champion added. “I know that I won’t sleep a lot today so tomorrow’s 400 m hurdles final is gonna be tough.” Matthew Hudson-Smith won back-to-back titles in the men’s 400m race for a fourth British win in a row in 44.53 seconds, half a second ahead of Swiss Ricky Petrucciani and with another Briton, Alex Haydock-Wilson, getting bronze.“It feels amazing - defending my title. It is great to be here and to get the job done. I came here to take it. This is all I wanted,” Hudson-Smith said.World and Olympic champion Pedro Pichardo of Portugal won the triple jump with 17.50 metres; and Spain’s Asier Martinez won a photo finish against Frenchman Pascal Martinot-Lagarde for gold in a 110m hurdles photo finish with both clocking 13.14 seconds.Bianca Florentina Ghelber won women’s hammer throw gold in the absence of Polish superstar Anita Wlodarczyk while Finland’s Wilma Murto denied 2016 Olympic and 2017 world champion Ekaterini Stafanidis of Greece a third straight pole vault Euros gold by equalling the championship record with 4.85m as she raised her personal best by 13cm.World and Olympic champion Nafissatou Thiam held the overnight heptathlon lead in search of back-to-back Euro titles while Dutch Olympic bronze medallist Emma Oosterwegel made an early exit after falling in the opening 100 hurdles.
