Farah, who lost to Spain's Jesus Espana in Gothenburg four years ago by 0.09 seconds, ran a commanding race in the 5,000m to give him a distance double.

He had won the 10,000 on Tuesday (July 27).

Farah's time of 13min 31.18sec 1.92 seconds better than that of Espana, who won silver.

Farah wept in joy over his achievement.

“In the home straight I just had to dig and dig," he said.

"Four years ago, it was at that point where he came past me, I just didn’t want to look behind, I just wanted to dig and dig and push and push.

“Obviously my mind is on the [London 2012] Olympics now but I'm already looking forward to the World Championships [in Daegu] next year."

Ennis (pictured) set a Championship record of 6,823 points to add a European title to her world gold medal she had won in Berlin last year.

The Sheffield athlete, holding an 18-point lead over Olympic champion Nataliya Dobrynska, finished in front of the Ukrainian in the 800m, the closing event,  to take the gold.

She passed Carolina Kluft's total of 6,740 from 2006 with a season-best run in the two-lap race.

"I was so glad to win, especially with the 800m at the end and the way that I won it, which was mainly to prove that I really am the world number one," Ennis said.

Britain's night did not end there - David Greene and Rhys Williams led a 1-2 finish in the 400m hurdles.

Greene clocked 48.12sec, the second fastest ever by a British athlete behind only Kriss Akabusi's 47.82 set on this track when he won the Olympic bronze medal in Barcelona in 1992.

“I felt it [the pressure of being favourite] a little bit more today than other days, all I could do was meet expectation really and that sounds horrible: 'meets expectation' by becoming European champion," said Greene.

"But I'm very pleased to have put it together on the day."

Williams, the son of former Welsh rugby union international J.J Williams, also ran a personal best of 48.96 but admitted he was disappointed not to have beaten his training partner.

"I have to enjoy this but I wanted to win," he said.

"I'm not going to be too hard on myself - I got a PB (personal best) but there is disappointment there.

"I've finally broke 49 seconds - I'm now in the 48 club and I've got to keep progressing as I am."

Neil Rimmer had to settle for the silver medal in the 800m as Poland picked up its first gold of the Championships thanks to Marcin Lewandowski.

The Liverpool, Pembroke and Sefton man, who finished  last in the same race at Gothenburg four years ago,  was left rueing what he saw as a missed opportunity as Lewandowski passed him in the closing strides to win in 1:47.17, a tenth of a second of ahead of Rimmer.  

"I'm gutted - if I'm honest I'm going to hate standing on that podium hearing someone else's national anthem, it'll be gut wrenching,” Rimmer said.

"Hopefully next time I'll be on top of it. I just wanted to win it for Britain - it's been 20 years since we did and I want to apologise to everyone who is watching.

"I really did my best."

Merlene Ottey (pictured), 50, became the oldest athlete to compete at the Championships when she ran in the 4x100m women's relay.

Ottey, a naturalised Slovenian of Jamaican origin, surpassed the age record held by 47-year-old French marathon runner Nicole Brakebusch-Leveque.

But Slovenia failed to get out of the heats.

"It's right up there with all the medals I have won," said Ottey, who has claimed 29 medals in major competitions, including seven Olympics, among them a bronze in Barcelona in 1992.

"It didn't cross my mind [at 40] that I would still be running now.

"I thought I would retire."

France's Myriam Soumaire denied Russia's women another gold medal, winning the 200m in a European season's best time of 22.32sec.

"I cannot believe what happened - the last metres was crazy," said Soumaire, bronze medalist in the 100.

""I was afraid of the Russian athletes because they are the favourites."

Moments after team-mate and 100m silver medalist Veronique Mang was disqualified for a false start, Soumaire surged to the front from the outside lane.

Ukraine's Yelizaveta Bryzhina took silver as the top two passed Aleksandra Fedoriva just as the Russian seemed set for gold when she led coming out of the bend.

Russia, despite no gold Saturday, still leads with eight golds and 21 overall.

Britain has six golds as does France after Renaud Lavillenie won the pole vault at 5.85 metres.

Andreas Thorkildsen of Norway won his second straight javelin gold to go with Olympic and world titles.

The Norwegian shrugged off the challenge of Matthias De Zordo of Germany to win with a throw of 88.37m, then carried championship mascot 'Barni' upside down during his victory lap in celebration.

Turkey, too, earned its first victory as Nevin Yanit (pictured far righ) led from the gun to win the 100m hurdles in 12.63, ahead of Ireland's Derval O'Rourke (pictured far left), whose 12.65 was a national record.

"I cannot believe what happened," said Yanit, who received a congratulatory call from Turkey Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

"This performance is amazing."

O'Rouke, 29, was equally pleased at winning her country's first medal of the Championships.

"I would have loved to have won gold but I cannot complain as I ran the fastest race of my life and beat the national record." she said.

"Anything that gets the Irish flag out there is brilliant."

Andrei Mikhnevich of Belarus edged Olympic champion Tomasz Majewski of Poland and defending champion Ralf Bartels of Germany to win the shot.

Ukraine won five medals today, led by Olha Saladuha in the women's triple jump.

Zivile Balciunaite of Lithuania won the women's marathon.


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