On the first day of the 2016 European Athletics Championships in Amsterdam, long distance runner Yasemin Can of Turkey won gold medal in Women's 10000m.

Can won gold with 31.12.86, also breaking her personal best with 18 seconds and the under-23 European record for 10m000m which was also set by her.

Can tore away from the pack early on and took the 10,000 meter title well ahead of 2nd place Dulce Felix of Portugal. Norwegian Karoline Bjerkeli Grovdal came in 3rd to get the bronze with 31:23.45.

Kenyan-born Can took up Turkish citizenship 15 months ago.

The results from the European championships Women's 10000m on Wednesday:

1. Yasemin Can (Turkey) 31:12.862. Ana Dulce Felix (Portugal) 31:19.033. Karoline Bjerkeli Grovdal (Norway) 31:23.454. Fionnuala McCormack (Ireland) 31:30.745. Joanne Pavey (Britain) 31:34.616. Veronica Inglese (Italy) 31:37.437. Jessica Andrews (Britain) 31:38.028. Jip Vastenburg (Netherlands) 32:04.009. Sarah Lahti (Sweden) 32:14.1710. Trihas Gebre (Spain) 32:20.4511. Alexi Pappas (Greece) 32:27.8012. Carla Salome Rocha (Portugal) 32:57.4413. Christelle Daunay (France) 33:03.3614. Tara Jameson (Ireland) 33:19.8515. Olha Skrypak (Ukraine) 33:36.7916. Johanna Peiponen (Finland) 34:39.91

Ramil Guliyev of Turkey also finished first in the men's 100 meters qualifying round and will participate in the final Thursday. Guliyev's time was 10.21. He is the 2nd fastest junior in the 200m of all time after Usain Bolt.