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Russian Abitova in 10,000m triumph
 Abitova enjoys the moment after her 10,000m victory at the European event. GOTHENBURG, Sweden -- Inga Abitova gave Russia a perfect start to the European athletics championships by winning the women's 10,000 meters with an awesome finish on Monday. A few minutes earlier, German Ralf Bartels stole the first title in Gothenburg by winning the closest men's shot put Euro-final in 72 years. Abitova, 24, went clear with 400m to go and took one minute off her personal best, clocking 30 minutes and 31.42 seconds, ahead of Norway's Susanne Wigene. Another Russian, Lidiya Grigoryeva, took the bronze medal. "About two kilometers before the finish I started to believe I can win a medal. But it was a fight until the last meters, nothing was granted," said Abitova, who has concentrated on the marathon in the past. Wigene prevented a Russian sweep as Galina Bogomolova came fourth while long-time leader Lornah Kiplagat of the Netherlands faded to fifth in the last lap. Russia have the biggest team at the championships with 118 athletes and are out to top the medal table as in 2002, where they garnered 24 medals, eight of them gold. Bartels shocked the opposition with a last-round put of 21.13m to beat 2003 world champion Andrei Mikhnevich of Belarus (21.11m) and Joachim Olson of Denmark (21.09m). "My victory may be close, but who cares? I knew I could beat them all because I am in excellent shape," said Bartels, whose previous best results were third place finishes at Euro 2002 and the 2003 worlds. With the top three separated by just four centimetres, it was the closest finish in the Euro-shot put event since the maiden edition 1934 in Turin. In preliminary action, defending champion Francis Obikwelu of Portugal handily won his second-round 100m race in 10.28 seconds. Ronald Pognon of France posted the fastest time of the round with 10.19, while Briton Dwain Chambers only barely qualified in fourth place with 10.39 seconds. "I only ran 80m. I controlled the race from the beginning and there was no panic," said Obikwelu. Chambers originally won the 2002 race but was stripped of that title over a doping offense. He was running two heats in one day for the first time since 2002 as he only returned from his ban in June. 
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