Anastasiya Kapachinskaya completed a Russian sweep of the long sprints after blasting off the final bend en route to a 22.78 win in the 200 metres. It was the first major title for the 24-year-old, who followed up her 2003 indoor bronze with a silver outdoors in Paris.
Behind her, the battle for the remaining medals was extremely tight. Natalya Safronnikova (23.13) of Belorus, a finalist last year, squeezed by Svetlana Goncharenko (23.18), the 1998 European Indoor champion to claim the silver and prevent a Russian 1-2 sweep. Austrian record holder Karin Mayr-Krifka took a strong early lead, but faded in the homestretch, to finish fourth in 23.18.
Note:
Kapachinskaya failed her Budapest doping test and so was disqualified. The title therefore went to Safronnikova, from Goncharenko and Mayr-Krifka.
