Emelyanov won the event along the streets of Barcelona in a time of 1 hour, 20 minutes, 10 seconds. Alex Schwazer of Italy finished 28 seconds behind for silver, ahead of Portugal's Joao Vieira, who took bronze with a season-best time of 1:20:49.

“It's been a great race for me,” 19-year-old Emelyanov said after his first success in senior competition.

Schwazer and Emelyanov led from the start and exchanged leads before the Russian eventually powered past for good after eight kilometers in the warm conditions.

“I tried to catch up with Emelyanov but he was in top shape today,” said Schwazer, the Olympic 50-kilometer champion. “Now I hope to recover in time for the 50k walk.”

Former Olympic heptathlon champion Carolina Kluft managed a season-best leap of 6.62 meters to squeeze into the long jump final, while there were few surprises in the men's 100-meter heats as favorites Christophe Lemaitre and Dwain Chambers easily advanced.

Kluft's jump wasn't close to defending champion Lyudmila Kolchanova's leading distance of 6.87, but the Swedish athlete still considered the achievement a “big victory” as she continues her recovery from a torn hamstring.

“It's been a really tough year for me so this is just one step ahead to my final goals for next year,” the two-time heptathlon winner said from Barcelona's Olympic stadium.

“After being injured for such a long time and to be in a big championship feels so great.” World indoor champion Naido Gomes of Portugal also advanced with a season-best leap, while Tatyana Kotova of Russia failed to get through. Natassia Mironchyk set a new Belarussian record of 6.66 to qualify.

Lemaitre, whose time of 9.98 seconds earlier this month was the fastest by a European this season, was quickest in his first major championship with a time of 10.19 seconds into a strong headwind.

Chambers, who had his 2002 gold taken away for a doping violation, was just behind in 10.21 after the Briton eased off in the last 20 meters.

Defending champion Francis Obikwelu of Portugal, who also holds the 200 title, advanced in a time of 10.26.

Irish sprinter Jason Smyth made history by becoming the first Paralympian to compete at the Europeans, going through in a time of 10.43.
 

Meantime, US sprinter Justin Gatlin will return from a four-year doping ban with two races in Estonia next month, he told Reuters late on Monday.

Gatlin will launch his comeback with a 100 meters at Rakvere, Estonia, on Aug. 3 and will run again five days later in Tallinn, the 2004 Olympic 100m champion said in a telephone interview from Atlanta.

"It's a relief," said Gatlin, who has not run a competitive race since June 2006. "It definitely comes earlier than I thought it would."   The 28-year-old regained his eligibility on Sunday after serving a four-year ban for a 2006 positive test for the male sex hormone testosterone and its precursors.

Many expected him to have difficulty finding races because of a Euro Meetings recommendation not to invite athletes who bring disrepute to the sport.

But organizers of the Estonian meetings, which are not members of the Euro group, said they would welcome Gatlin.

That left Gatlin scrambling to replace a lost passport before he, his mother and a coach leave for Europe this week.

"He has worked so hard to get back out there," said Jeanette Gatlin of her son.

Gatlin described the comeback races as some of the most important of his career.

"I just want to have a good show and a good standing so people will say, 'He looks good,'" said Gatlin, who has been training with veteran sprint coach Loren Seagrove.

"It will be right up there on the same list with my world championships and Olympics," the 2005 world double sprint champion added.

"If I had to put them all on a bulletin board in my room or a trophy case, the photo of my first race back will, if successful, be just like that."