Jo Pavey celebrates her victory in the 10,000 metres final.Jo Pavey celebrates her victory in the 10,000 metres final.

Jo Pavey became the oldest female to claim a gold medal at the European championships when she won the 10,000 metres yesterday, the first track final of this year’s event.

The Briton, who is 41 next month, took the lead with just over a lap to go and held off the challenge of Frenchwoman Clemence Calvin to snatch her first major championship title.

Pavey, silver medallist in Helsinki two years ago, finished in 32 minutes 22.39 seconds, more than a second ahead of Calvin. Laila Hmatou Traby of France was third.

“To try for so many years and to finally do it at the age of 40 is funny really,” she said. “I should have learned how to do it by now.

“I was feeling tired but I had to try and keep relaxed and remind myself that everyone else might be feeling the pace.”

Irina Khabarova, the previous oldest female gold medallist, was 40 and 27 days when she was a member of Russia’s 4x100 relay-winning team in 2006.

In the evening’s other final, world champion David Storl of Germany won the men’s shot put with a throw of 21.41 metres.

Spain’s Borja Vivas was second with 20.86 followed by 2008 and 2012 Olympic champion Tomasz Majewski of Poland on 20.83.

Earlier yesterday, Kevin Moore set a new national record in the 100m heats.

The Maltese sprinter was on the starting blocks of the fifth heat of the 100 metres event at the Letzigrud Stadium and he dashed home in 10.49 seconds... a mere 0.01 seconds faster than his own national best of 10.50 .

Moore finished seventh in the heat and 28th overall from 36 sprinters and was just a mere 0.05 seconds from the last qualifying spot which was taken by Angel Rodriguez, of Spain.

Britain’s sprinter Harry Aikines-Aryeetey won the race in 10.19 seconds and progressed to the semi-finals alongside Portugal’s Yazaldes Nascimento (10.27) and Jaysuma Saidy Ndure, of Norway, who clocked 10.30.

Moore will now be back in action on Thursday when he takes part in the 200 metres heats.

Rebecca Camilleri was also in action in the women’s long jump qualification.

The Pembroke Athleta athlete failed to better her national mark of 6.41 metres she set earlier this year when she could only manage a best leap of 6.17 metres.

The 29-year-old finished 22nd from 28 entries.

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