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| Yuriy Borzakovskiy of Russia celebrates as he crosses the finish line to win the 800m gold in Helsinki on Friday. |
The big name of the race was the 2004 world Olympic champion Yuriy Borzakovskiy and he duly delivered in a tailor-made race for him, sprinting to victory down the finishing straight.
The 1:48.61 time wasn't impressive, in fact it as the slowest winning mark since 1962 though worth noting it wouldn't have even been fast enough to win a medal way back in 1954, 58 years ago when the race was won in 1:47.11 by the Hungarian Lajos Sjentgali.
The first 200m wasn't too slow as the fastest runner in this year's final, Dutchman Robert Lathouwers who had run a 1:44.61 PB in Hengelo this year but was contesting his first major Championship final took the lead and hugged the inside. Outside him the 2011 European junior champion Pierre Bosse who has run 1:44.97 this year and impressed with his style in the heats held second.
Just before the bell, the experienced Spaniard Antonio Reina, who has run 1:44.65 this year and has a ten year-old PB of 1:43.83 moved up to third as while the Dutchman held the kerb, technically the Frenchman was ahead in 55.17.
Borzakovskiy was fifth and running wide. The pace picked up slightly after the bell but nothing of note and the situation was identical at 600m with Lathouwers controlling and Bosse biding his time as the time showed 82.79 just 27.62 for that 200m, though it had been over 29 for the previous one.
Everyone was in contention as they swung into the straight and the Dutchman kicked for all he was worth but the Frenchman and the Spaniard went by and then Borzakovskiy kicked past the lot of them. In the last 30 metres, the Dane Andrea Bube, who has run 1:44.99 this year, managed to squeeze by on the inside lane and closed to within a metre but couldn't get any closer and he timed 1:48.69, just 0.08 away from gold.
That gave Denmark their first medal since former world record holder Wilson Kipketer won in 2002.
Bube was delighted with his medal and could also thank the style of race. 'My speciality is the final sprint and I manged to pass Lathouwers on the inside because he was in my way. This is amazing as I didn't expect to win a medal.'
Bosse held off Reina for third and he too was delighted 'I feel so good to win a medal in my first senior championships. The speed at the end was so fast. I'm going to celebrate a lot tonight.'
Czech Jakub Holusa, a surprise world indoor silver medallist this year, finished fast but had to settle for fifth a fraction down on Reina.
The 31 year-old took Russia's first ever title though the Soviet Union had won a gold medal through Yevgeniy Arzanhov, also in Helsinki in 1971.
The winner owns a 1:42.47 PB, though that mark is 11 years old. He has also world championship silvers and a world indoor title.
Despite winning two European indoor golds, he had never previously competed in the European Championships outdoor event before at 800m and his one item of silverware was a 4x400 medal in 2002.
He said, 'I had good tactics today. I came here to check my condition before the Olympics. Now I'm happy that I got my first gold at the European Championships.'
This could be the tail end of a superb career for the Russian who won an European junior title way back in 1999.
The Russian can boast 49 marks under 1:45 but this year his best was a modest 1:46.15 but he is still hopeful of making it 50 in London.