Ukraine's Yaroslava Mahuchikh earned her war-afflicted country its first gold medal of the European championships in Rome when she won the women's high jump on Sunday.
On a night featuring six other finals, Poland's Wojciech Nowicki sealed a third successive European hammer throw title in dramatic fashion while Britain's Dina Asher-Smith claimed a second continental 100m gold.
World champion Mahuchikh, who fled the Russian bombardment of her native city of Dnipro in February 2022, managed a best of 2.01m for gold.
Going into the competition, Mahuchikh was clear favourite, her season's best of 2.04m a full 6cm better than her closest rival in the field, Serbia's Angelina Topic.
And so it proved as the jumpers contended with some heavy rain, Topic managing a best of 1.97m for silver, with another Ukrainian, Iryna Gerashchenko, claiming bronze (1.95).
Another Yaroslava Mahuchikh 🇺🇦 demonstration in the high jump! 👩🏫
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) June 9, 2024
2⃣.0⃣1⃣m for high jump gold in #Roma2024!#IgniteTheFire pic.twitter.com/On9urK1M4M
"I came to Rome to defend my title and to become the double European champion and that is what I managed tonight," said Mahuchikh.
"And it is 2.01 again - it is a good result and it shows that I can jump higher and higher. My goal is fulfilled and thanks god I did not feel the pain in my hamstring."
Mahuchikh added: "Now I have time to recover even more and to prepare for the main competition of the year.
"I am in a good shape and it is just a start of the season for me - still second time over the 2 metres. There was a very competitive atmosphere in the field and the young generation - Topic jumped so well.
"I am looking forward to competing with them at the Olympic Games."
TWO'S UP FOR ASHER-SMITH
Asher-Smith maintained her form perfectly to claim her second European 100m title after previously winning the blue riband event in the 2018 Berlin championships.
She timed 10.99 seconds for victory. Poland's Ewa Swoboda claimed silver in 11.03sec in a photo finish with Italian Zaynab Dosso.
A battle to the line! 🥵
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) June 9, 2024
And Dina Asher-Smith 🇬🇧 is crowned European 100m champion for the second time in 1️⃣0️⃣.9️⃣9️⃣ in #Roma2024! ✨#IgniteTheFire pic.twitter.com/lgrDhdEOp2
There was drama in the men's hammer throw as Nowicki, the reigning Olympic champion and five-time world medallist, left it late for his third continental title.
Sitting in third spot going into his sixth and final throw, the 35-year-old Pole pulled everything out of the bag with an effort of 80.95m to jump into top spot.
It pushed Hungary's Bence Halasz into second (80.49m), with Ukrainian Mykhaylo Kokhan taking bronze (80.18).
Nowicki's team-mate Pawel Fajdek, the five-time world champion and 2016 European title winner, finished sixth with 77.50m.
Spain's Ana Peleteiro-Compaore, the Olympic bronze medallist, sailed out to 14.85m on the fourth time of asking to seal victory in the women's triple jump.
Turkey' Tugba Danismaz took silver with a national record of 14.57m, with bronze going to France's Ilionis Guillaume (14.43).
There looked like there was also double gold for soon-to-be Olympic hosts France.
But Alice Finot's victory in the 3000m steeplechase was scratched after she strayed inside the track.
The win was instead handed to German Gesa Krause in 9:18.06, with Britain's Elizabeth Bird taking silver and Romania's Stella Rutto bronze. Albania's defending champion Luiza Gega was fourth.
Then the elbows were out in the men's 800m, Frenchman Gabriel Tual breaking clear down the home stretch for the win in 1:44.87 ahead of Spain's Mohamed Attaoui (1:45.20), with Italy's Catalin Tecuceanu in bronze (1:45.40).
It’s France’s night on the track in #Roma2024! 🇫🇷
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) June 9, 2024
Gold for Gabriel Tual in the 800m! 🥇 #IgniteTheFire pic.twitter.com/f6SmcYaEMm
A second French bronze was claimed by Agathe Guillemot in the women's 1500m, won by fast-finishing Ciara Mageean in 4:04.66 to ensure Ireland their second gold of the championships after success in the 4x400m mixed relay. Britain's Georgia Bell took silver.
She found a gap...and she went for it! 🌪
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) June 9, 2024
Ciara Mageean 🇮🇪 storms to 1500m gold for Ireland in #Roma2024! 🔥#IgniteTheFire
(@irishathletics | @TeamIreland) pic.twitter.com/sKf4f0IyQf