Gold for Bleasdale

Holly Bleasdale secured Britain's first medal of the European Indoor Championships with a dramatic victory in the pole vault following a jump-off with Poland's Anna Rogowska.

Bleasdale and defending champion Rogowska both initially failed with three attempts at 4.72 metres in Gothenburg and could not be separated on countback.

That meant a rare jump-off with the bar remaining at 4.72m for one more attempt each, and when both failed again it moved down to 4.67m, which the pair had cleared at the second attempt in regulation. However, this time Rogowska was unable to repeat the feat and Bleasdale grabbed her opportunity with a fine clearance to secure the gold medal and a first major title.

Bleasdale, Britain's first-ever European pole vault champion, revealed she initially thought she had finished second.

"I knew they did them (jump-offs) but I've never ever been in one before," she said. "I thought I had just come second so I was waving to the crowd and then they told me I had to do a jump-off.

"I didn't really know what one was but I am glad we did it. We had the option to share the gold medal or do a jump-off and I wanted to do a jump-off. I wanted the gold medal to myself.

"I was in the moment and felt really good and felt if I got my jump together I could clear the bar easily."