Throughout the end of year holiday period, European Athletics is offering a day by day review of the European Athletics Championships held from 12-17 August in Zurich.
Day 6, Sunday 17 August, Emotions run high as Zurich ends with a day to remember
The final day of the European Athletics Championships in Zurich was extraordinary.
But if one story stood out above so many amazing others in the Letzigrund Stadium, it came in the final of the women’s 3000m steeplechase as Antje Moldner-Schmidt, of Germany, charged through at the last barrier to take the title.
Four years earlier she had been battling cancer and now she was a gold medallist.
Moldner-Schmidt won in 9:29.43 from Sweden’s Charlotta Fougberg, who had led as they entered the home straight and was second in 9:30.16, with Spain's Diana Martin third in 9:30.70.
'This is unbelievable,' said Moldner-Schmidt. 'The crowd here is fantastic, their applause was so beautiful for me, it meant so much to me. At the same time it was sometimes just too much for me, it kind of overcharged me.'
When the afternoon session ended, it was Great Britain who topped the table. Along with France, they both won 23 medals but Britain had 12 golds to France’s nine.
Five of them came in this final session of a wonderful week in Switzerland, with Mo Farah once more demonstrating his speed and stamina as he became European 5000m champion for the third successive time.
Adam Gemili, who won the 200m, and Martyn Rooney, who won the 400m, were also back on top of the podium as they anchored their respective teams to glory.
Britain’s men won the 4x100m in 37.93 from Germany in 38.09 and France in 38.47 and they took the 4x400m in 2:58.79, a European leading-time, ahead of Russia in 2:59.38 and Poland in 2:59.85.
As Britain’s women won the 4x100m relay in 42.24 from France in 42.45 and Russia in 43.22, it was as much about the start and the last-day agony for the hosts.
When the gun fired, Mujinga Kambundji, on the opening leg, dropped the baton as she left her blocks. She stopped in disbelief, her hands covering her face in despair as her teammates came across to console her, knowing there was nothing they could do.
France’s women won the 4x400m gold in another European-leading time, crossing the line in 3:24.27 from Ukraine in 3:24.32 and Britain in 3:24.32.
And the fifth Briton to take gold was the Olympic champion Greg Rutherford who won his first European long jump title with a fourth round leap of 8.29m to beat Greece's Louis Tsatoumas with 8.15m and Kafetien Gomis, of France, with 8.14m.
Spain’s Ruth Beitia wrote herself into European Athletics Championship history when she became the oldest woman to win the high jump.
At 35, Beitia defended her title in style as she produced a world-leading height of 2.01m to take gold from Mariya Kuchina, of Russia, who was second on countback from Croatia’s Ana Simic as they both had best jumps of 1.99m.
After being disqualified as the 3000m steeplechase gold medallist when he took off his shirt to celebrate in the home straight, France’s Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad ended the championships on a better note as he won the 1500m.
He triumphed in 3:54.35, beating Norway's defending champion Henrik Ingebrigsten who was second in 3:46.10 with Chris O'Hare, of Britain, third in 3:46.18.
Mekhissi-Benabbad said: “My only possible reaction after the disqualification was to go back and win this title - for my family, for those who are close to me, for my coach.”
There was a first major outdoor shot put gold for Christina Schwanitz, of Germany, who triumphed with her second round effort of 19.90m.
And in the javelin, Finland’s Antti Ruuskanen struck gold and a European lead with a third round throw of 88.01m to beat the Czech Republic’s defending champion Vitezslav Vesely who won silver with 84.79m.
The day had begun with the men’s marathon, a tough race over the looped course which saw gold go to Italy’s Daniele Meucci in a personal best time of 2:11:08 from Poland’s Yared Shegumo in 2:12:00 and Aleksey Reunkov, of Russia, in 2:12:15.
But what a day this Sunday was, a perfect way to end a memorable European Athletics Championships.