Olga Kotlyarova (left) is the new 800m European Champion. © Photo Run / Jiro Mochizuki

Two years ago, Olga Kotlyarova, then a 400-meter runner, decided out of curiosity to compete at double the distance, and ran a world-class time of 1:57.96 minutes in her first attempt. Now the 30-year-old Russian is the European 800m champion, taking the final in Gothenburg, Sweden in 1:57.38 in her first season of concentrating on the distance. The silver medal was won by her countrywoman Swetlana Klyuka (1:57.48), and third place was taken by Britain’s Rebecca Lyne in 1:58.45.

“This is the biggest achievement of my career,” Kotlyarowa said after her victory. Klyuka and another Russian, Swetlana Cherkasowa, led the early part of the race, and passed the 400-meter mark in a fast 57.37 seconds. Lyne was close behind, followed by the eventual winner. While Cherkasowa fell back to the last place, Klyuka looked like the certain winner. But in the last few meters, Kotlyarowa passed her and won gold. “Because of my 400m background, I have enough speed at the end of the race,” said the winner, who also talked about the world record: “Why not?” she asked. “I am fast enough. But I have to train a lot and need to learn more in the 800.” The 23-year-old world record of Jarmila Kratochvilova (Czech Republic/1:53.28) seems far away, and may be unreachable.

Behind the two leading Russians, the fight for bronze was equally exciting. Lyne fell back at first, and it looked like as if Tetyana Petlyuk (Ukraine) would win this medal, but then Lyne came back strongly on the home straight. “Bronze medal—that sounds really good,” Lyne said. “If somebody had told me earlier in the season that I would win a medal here, I would have told him that he is crazy. Steve Cram gave me a lot of advice; that was fantastic.”