Visser bags second Dutch European athletics gold in photo-finish

Nadine Visser won the Netherlands’ second gold medal at the European athletics championships in a dramatic final of the 100 metres hurdles.

Visser, 31, was awarded the victory on a photo-finish after edging out her Polish rival Pia Skrzyszowska with her lunge for the line.

Both athletes were awarded the same time of 12.67 seconds, but Visser was adjudged to have got there first by 1/1000 of a second.

It was a first outdoor title for Visser, who has two gold and two silver medals for 60 metres hurdles at the European indoor championships.

“I’ve been to so many championships but there was always something that got in the way,” she said. “But I didn’t want to think about it too hard, because that puts you under pressure.”

In other events, Elvis Afrifa reached the men’s 100 metres final, but just missed out on a medal in fourth place.

Koster sixth

Afrifa finished 0.03 seconds behind the bronze medallist, the fast-finishing German Owen Ansah. Gold and silver went to the British pair of Romell Glave and Jeremiah Azu as the defending champion, Italy’s Marcell Jacobs, pulled up halfway through the race with an injury.

Maureen Koster finished sixth in the women’s 5000m after leading the field in the closing laps, before being overtaken in the last 200 metres by a string of fast finishers led by Italy’s Nadia Battocletti.

Just behind her in seventh place was 23-year-old compatriot Amina Maatoug, running in her first European championships, while Jennifer Gulikers finished 13th.

Femke Broeders-Bol cruised through her heat of the 800 metres, winning in a time of 1:59.96 seconds. The 26-year-old, who switched from the 400 metres hurdles this season, will run again in the semi-finals on Thursday.