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Christian Malcolm
France's Christophe Lemaitre, right, crosses the finish line ahead of Britain's Christian Malcolm in the men's 200m final. Photograph: Anja Niedringhaus/AP
France's Christophe Lemaitre, right, crosses the finish line ahead of Britain's Christian Malcolm in the men's 200m final. Photograph: Anja Niedringhaus/AP

Christian Malcolm edged out for 200m gold by Christophe Lemaitre

This article is more than 13 years old
Season's best secures silver for Malcolm
France's Christophe Lemaitre wins sprint double

Britain's Christian Malcolm narrowly missed out on the 200 metres gold medal as France's Christophe Lemaitre completed the sprint double at the European Athletics Championships.

Malcolm led off the bend into the home straight in Barcelona's Olympic Stadium and looked like holding off the fast-finishing Lemaitre on his inside.

But a desperate lunge at the line saw Lemaitre clock 20.37 seconds to snatch the gold medal, with Malcolm a mere hundredth of a second behind in a season's best of 20.38.

The 31-year-old from Cardiff threw his hands up in disbelief when he saw the result appear on the giant screen in the stadium, but was still able to celebrate a silver medal to match the one achieved by compatriot Mark Lewis-Francis in the 100m.

France's Martial Mbandjock took bronze as he had done in the 100m on Wednesday night, with Britain's Marlon Devonish fourth in 20.62.

It was Malcolm's first medal in the European Championships, having finished fourth in Munich in 2002, and only his second major individual outdoor medal of his career, to go with the silver he won at the Commonwealth Games in 1998.

"It means a lot," said Malcolm, who considered quitting the sport after losing his lottery funding last year. "It's been a very tough year but I've come through with a medal.

"I can't believe he caught me on the line. It's hard being so close to winning it but to take a medal - I can't argue with that. I have mixed emotions. Later on I'll be so happy to have a medal."

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