Britain's Andy Pozzi wins gold in 60m hurdles

The 24-year-old was slow out of the blocks in Belgrade, but powered through the field and an extravagant dip on the line was enough to earn him a first major triumph.

Just three hundreths of a second separated the first four athletes across the line, with France's Pascal Martinot-Lagarde in second and Petr Svoboda of the Czech Republic in third.

"I am over the moon to win my first title in my first European indoor championships," Pozzi told Reuters.

"It was a really close race and I knew I had to deliver. It's just been such a torrid time and really miserable for such long periods, but last year I felt I was starting to get some of the training that I really needed," he added.

"That was a good base for this year to step on and really raise my game."

The hurdler will be especially encouraged by winning over the short indoor distance after such a sluggish start, particularly with the World Championships in London on the horizon.