Jo Pavey had been one of the last hopes for a British gold medal at the European Championships. In contrast to the team’s performance at the meet eight years ago in Budapest, where they won nine events, so far this time they’ve yet to win one. Despite leading most of the way in the women’s 5,000 meter, Pavey, too, came up short, finishing fourth in 15:01.41 minutes.

Instead, the new European champion came from Spain. After placing seventh in the 10,000m final on Monday, Marta Dominguez took the 5,000m title in 14:56.18. In a sprint finish, she beat Russia’s Liliya Shobukhova (14:56.57) and Turkey’s Elvan Abeylegesse (14:59.29).

Pavey had taken the lead at 2,800m, but she could not get rid of the three runners who later took the medals. With 200 meters to go, they all passed Pavey. Dominguez seemed to be boxed in third, but she was the fastest in the end. “It was an ideal race for me. In the end, I knew I could win because of my speed,” Dominguez said. “I tried everything,” Pavey said. “It is very disappointing not to have won a medal.”

For the first time in the European Championships, there was a women’s 3,000m steeplechase. It ended with a novelty, because Alesia Turava (Belarus), who is the sister of the winner of the 20-kilometer walk, Ryta Turava, took the gold. It is the first time in the history of the European Championships that two sisters each won an event. Turava dominated the steeple, clocking 9:26.05. Tatjana Petrova (Russia/9:28.05) and Poland’s Wioletta Janowska (9:31.62) took the next two places. “In the last year, I was injured and I have only been able to train for the last three months,” Turava said.