A week earlier an illegal wind reading prevented Adam Gemili from becoming Europe’s fastest 100m sprinter this year.
But on a hot afternoon in Birmingham on Sunday, the Briton made no mistake this time in a dramatic race which did not finish quite as he planned.
Gemili, 21, finally blitzed through the 10-second barrier as he ran 9.97 to soar to the top of the European Athletics’ rankings. He had achieved that time seven days earlier before conditions ruled out anything official.
But as he crossed the line at the Alexander Stadium behind American Marvin Bracy in 9.93, Gemili fell and ended up being wheeled off with a suspected hamstring injury that puts a cloud over his preparations for the world championships in Beijing in August.
Yet it was still a landmark moment for Gemili as he became the first Briton to break 10-seconds for the 100m and 20-seconds for the 200m after his 19.98 in 2013.
Not the fairy-tale ending I wanted but I am proud to be the only Brit to go sub 10 and sub 20. British sprinting is really stepping up and I am glad to be a part of it. I felt my hamstring go as I dipped but I am in good spirits.
Gemili now tops the 2015 European Athletics rankings from France’s Jimmy Vicaut with 9.98 and his British teammate Richard Kilty, the European 60m champion, who ran a personal best of 10.05 to finish fifth in Birmingham.
Asher-Smith can do no wrong
It was an equally good day in Birmingham for another Briton, Dina Asher-Smith, who overtook Dafne Schippers as Europe’s top 200m runner this year.
Asher-Smith, 19, was third in the 200m in 22.30, narrowly beaten by Americans Jeneba Tarmoh and Allyson Felix who both ran 22.29.
Last month Asher-Smith broke the 15-year British 100m record when she ran 11.02 in Hengelo and she now leads Dutch star Schippers who has run 22.39 for the 200m.
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It was very much a day for European leading marks for the Britons as Olympic long jump champion Greg Rutherford won with 8.35m.
Guei is back with a bang
There was quite a moment at the European Athletics Permit Meeting in Marseille on Saturday as France’s Floria Guei won the 400m in 51.27.
Not only did she soar to the top of the European Athletics rankings, but it was the fastest time by a French athlete since 2001.
It was a good weekend for France as the following day, and just a week after Germany’s Kai Kazmirek had set a decathlon world lead of 8462 in Götzis, Kevin Mayer overtook him with 8469 at the International meet in Arona on Tenerife.
Mayer, the European silver medallist, produced the second best score of his career to win by a long way from Spain’s Jorge Urena with 7941.
In Lunel, France’s Romain Barras, the 2010 European decathlon champion, completed his first decathlon since 2011 with a score of 8001.
Double delight for Toth and Galikova
It was a busy two days for Slovakia’s leading walker Matej Toth, the European 50km silver medallist, and his teammate Maria Galikova.
On Saturday in Borsky Mikulas, Toth won the 46th staging of their 10km road walk in 39:56 as he took the title for the eighth time as Galikova won the women’s 5km race in 23:04.
Then 24 hours later, the pair both triumphed again in the 5km at the 18th international in Hlohovec, with Toth winning in 19:11 and Galikova first in 23:14.
Buchel earns good win
Switzerland’s Selina Buchel, the European Athletics Indoor 800m champion, triumphed in Montbeliard in 2:01.23 while in Raasepori, Finland’s Ari Mannio won the javelin with 86.82m.
There are 87 meetings in Europe this week. For full details, go to www.european-athletics.org/calendar