Click here for Wednesday's Munich schedule
Click here for Tuesday's Munich results
Click here for latest Munich medal table
Click here for more news from Munich
Click here for Munich photo gallery

Paula Radcliffe destroyed her rivals to complete a glorious golden double as she was crowned European 10,000metres champion in Munich's Olympic Stadium.

The 28-year-old who had to endure nine years of agonising near-misses before winning her first track gold at the Commonwealths in Manchester, picked up her second in just nine days.

Radcliffe shattered the European record with the second-fastest time ever run in history of 30 minutes 01.09 seconds.

The Loughborough-based runner carved over 12 seconds off Norwegian Ingrid Kristiansen's 16-year-old record and only China's Wang Junxia - with her world record of 29:31.78 - from 1993 has run faster.

The victory brought Britain its first gold - indeed medal - of the championships and provided the opening day inspirations the tired athletes were looking for after their Commonwealth exertions.

Radcliffe's obliterated a field that that included Ireland's title holder Sonia O'Sullivan and former Olympic, World and European 10,000m champion Fernanda Ribeiro of Portugal.

O'Sullivan finished around 300metres adrift in second place while Ribeiro pulled off the track just past the half-way stage after being dropped by the searing pace of her rival after just five laps of the track.

The consolation for O'Sullivan - who completed a distance double in Budapest four years ago when Radcliffe finished in tears in fifth - was an Irish record of 30:47.59, an incredible 46 seconds behind the winner.

Radcliffe had ended her quest for a major track gold on super Sunday in Manchester but this was an even more emphatic demonstration of her current domination of the distance events.

The Cheshire-born athlete took the lead from when the field joined together at 200m after their staggered start and by the end of four laps only O'Sullivan and Ribeiro could keep her company.

But within one more lap Ribeiro was gone and O'Sullivan did not last much longer as Radcliffe pounded out a pace that was impossible for them to match.

The 29,000 crowd in the 68,000 seater stadium urged her on every circuit of the rain-sodden track though the occasion could not match the events in the City of Manchester Stadium.

Then the 38,000 crowd had screamed their encouragement every step of the way as the woman who had run into history at the London Marathon a few months earlier seized that maiden track gold.

As in Manchester, there was a kiss and cuddle from husband Gary Lough which only further banished the memories of last year's Worlds in Canada when they had a public spat on the track about her tactics after she again missed out on a medal.

O'Sullivan also hugged Radcliffe who, as always, competed in with a red ribbon on her vest as a public demonstration of her opposition to drug taking in sport.

The bookies might as well close the book on the destination of the year's BBC Sports personality of the Year award as surely there can be no other winner in the Jubilee year than Britain's new queen of the track.

It has been an incredible few months for Radcliffe who retained her World Cross Country title in March.

She then produced the greatest ever run in marathon history when she clocked the best time in a women's only race in London last April and missed out on world record by nine seconds.

Radcliffe has set Commonwealth records on the track in her last three races starting with the 3000m in Monaco, in her first race since London, then when she took the 5000m title in Manchester.

"I would like to thank everybody for their support," said Radcliffe, whose emphatic victory will surely persuade her to attempt a European double in the 5000m on Saturday.

Radcliffe had mixed feelings after her amazing run having won but failed to go under 30 minutes.

She told BBC2: "The aim was to duck under 30 minutes and the first reaction was disappointment because I really wanted that.

"I set off a little bit fast to do it and I felt really sick at the end of the race.

"But, now that it's sinking in a bit, I'm really pleased.

"With about 13 laps to go, and then again with six laps to go, I really struggled but I got it back together again at the end."

Radcliffe is in the form of her life at the moment but has not yet decided whether to double up and also run the 5,000m in Munich.

"I'm getting really scared, things are going really well," she said. "But I'll make my mind up in the morning about the 5,000."

Ireland's Marie Davenport (32:35.11) and Ann Keenan (33:19.94) finished 17th and 26th respectively while Britain's Liz Yelling, who is also coached by Radcliffe's coaching duo of Alex and Rosemary Stanton, was 20th in 32:44.44.

Radcliffe added: "I felt it was very important to win the race but also to break the European record which has stood for such a long time.

"I was disappointed that I wasn't under 30 minutes. I was all right at half-way but then I lost it between six and eight kilometres.

"The last three kilometres hurt and I probably went off too fast at the beginning. I really felt before the race that I could go under 30 minutes and that was my plan.

"I think running the marathon has given me the mental strength for that. With 12 minutes left it was really hurting and I wasn't really concentrating but again I thought of the pain of a marathon and kept going.

"It was important to me to win the title and break Ingrid's record. It was good as she is someone I have always looked up to.

"I will go away and make my mind up about the 5000m here. I have to remember I have the Chicago Marathon coming up shortly and it is very important that I am fully prepared for that.

"Next year I will be doing the 10,000m at the World Championships and I may well run the marathon at the Olympics in 2004."

O'Sullivan said: "Paula ran a great race and on the night no-one could have beaten her except probably the Chinese.

"I heard the crowd roaring and thought it might be because Paula was going to lap me as well. I didn't like losing and not by that distance but there is no way I could have stayed with her.

"I now have to think about defending my 5000m title as well."