Radcliffe sets European record to win gold

Paula Radcliffe runs through rain on her way to gold

Munich, GERMANY, August 6 - Paula Radcliffe set a punishing pace from the start and ran away to pulverize the European record and capture the gold medal in the women's 10,000 meters at the European athletics championship Tuesday.

Running through driving rain, Radcliffe clipped nearly 13 seconds of the old mark set by Ingrid Kristiansen in 1986.

Radcliffe, twice world cross-country champion, clocked 30 minutes, 1.09 seconds as she left Ireland's Sonia O'Sullivan more than 45 seconds behind.

The best Yugoslav female athlete Olivera Jevtic took sixth place, while countrywoman Sonja Stolic finished ninth.

O'Sullivan earned the silver in 30:47.59 and Lyudmila Biktasheva of Russia won the bronze in 31:04.00.