In an explosion of speed during the race - and in the space of 20 minutes in real time - Great Britain celebrated gold in both 100m races at the Berlin 2018 European Athletics Championships on Tuesday (7).
Dina Asher-Smith, the defending 200m champion, first won in 10.85, equalling the world lead, and then teammate Zharnel Hughes broke the championship record time of 9.97 which Jimmy Vicaut had set in the semi-finals, winning gold in 9.95.
The Asher-Smith story remains remarkable, six years on from the-then teenager carrying the athletes' kits as a volunteer at the Olympic Games in London. Her victory means she bridges a gap of 56 years since a British woman last won this title, that being Dorothy Hyman in Belgrade in 1962.
Now 22, Asher-Smith looked superb in the semifinals as she won in 10.93 and then went even quicker in the final. There was equal excitement for the host nation as Germany's Gina Luckenkemper won silver in 10.98 with defending champion Dafne Schippers from the Netherlands third in 10.99.
Dina Asher-Smith: European 100m champion in a British record of 10.85!#EC2018 #TheMoment pic.twitter.com/qQrv23Y95b
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) August 7, 2018
'I came here to be European Champion, so I am happy to have achieved that,' said Asher-Smith. 'Europe is definitely the place to be sprinting, these girls are fast. I want to thank the fans across Europe for all the support. One race down, let's see what happens next in the 200m.'
Hughes now has an individual gold to his name this year after the frustration of being disqualified after winning the 200m at the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast in April.
On the track where Usain Bolt broke the world record in 2009, it looked like Frenchman Vicaut would be the man to beat.
But he seemed to pull up as he crossed the line and it proved a decisive moment. Due to a hamstring injury, he was missing from the final in which Hughes had enough power to triumph and lead a British one-two as Reece Prescod took silver with 9.96 and Türkiye's Jak Ali Harvey bronze in 10.01.
Hughes said: 'This was my main focus of the whole season and I am glad I made these fans happy as they were cheering for us a lot. This is what I really wanted and worked for it. After the Commonwealth Games, this victory is very important for me.'
A championship record to close the night!@zharnel_hughes completed a British double in the 100m at the European Championships, winning in 9.95 by 0.01 ahead of teammate Reece Prescod.#EC2018 #TheMoment pic.twitter.com/Mbm4qDDVBN
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) August 7, 2018
Amdouni outsprints challengers for 10,000m title
But the first gold medal on the track at the European Championships went to France as Morhad Amdouni won the 10,000m gold after a thrilling final lap tear up.
In a race which had seen Türkiye's defending champion Polat Kemboi Arikan and Germany's European leader Richard Ringer drop out, a group of five broke away with 400m left.
When they hit the home turn, Amdouni - who had been second behind Ringer on the lists and second to Ringer at the European 10,000m Cup - moved out into the third lane and threw down the gauntlet to the rest.
They could not catch his last-ditch burst of speed and it was enough for victory in 28:11.22 from Belgium's Bashir Abdi in 28:11.76 and Italy's Yemaneberhan Crippa in 28:12.15.
'I am so happy,' said Amdouni. 'I would like to thank my wife, my coach and the French team. I will focus on the 5km. I ran at the World championships in 2009 here, too. But without success. And now, nine years later, I come back to win this European title.”
A scintillating sprint finish...and then a hug from Berlino the Bear!
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) August 7, 2018
France's Morhad Amdouni wins the first track title of the European Championships in Berlin with gold in the 10,000m in 28:11.22.#EC2018 #TheMoment pic.twitter.com/yWhhqtfXcY
Following the dramatic morning session of the decathlon which had seen France's world champion Kevin Mayer pull out after his three fouls in the long jump, Martin Roe from Norway had led with 2673 points from Arthur Abele from Germany on 2636 and Karl Robert Saluri from Estonia on 2629.
But now, just days after the legendary double Olympic champion Daley Thompson turned 60, there is a Brit at the top again.
When Tom Duckworth, 22, won the NCAA Decathlon with 8336, he moved to third on the British all-time lists behind Thompson and Dean Macey and he took the lead in this competition in Berlin with one of the greatest high jumps seen in a European Championships decathlon.
Tim Duckworth (@timmahduck) was the star of the first day of the decathlon.
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) August 7, 2018
The Brit leads the decathlon standings after five events thanks in no small part to this excellent 2.17m clearance in the high jump.#EC2018 #TheMoment pic.twitter.com/wMGivoKu9O
Duckworth's outdoor personal best was 2.13m but he raised that to 2.17m to lead with 3559 from Roe with 3440 and Sweden's Fredrik Samuelsson with 3398.
Though he was seventh and last in the final heat of the 400m in 49.87, Duckworth still remained in charge at the end of the first day, leading by 95 points with 4380 from Abele with 4285 and Roe with 4282.
Norway's Karsten Warholm was in a different class as he eased into the final of the 400m hurdles.
A year on from his sensational performance in winning the world crown in London, he took command of his semifinal from the first stride. Although the outcome was close, it was only because he was slowing down in the home straight.
'This must be the coolest stadium I have run in,' said Warholm. He won in 48.67 from Poland's Patryk Dobek in 48.75.