RICHARD KILTY achieved a notable double at the European Team Athletics Championships in Russia, claiming a relay victory in the 4x100m and a second-placed finish in the individual 100m event.

The relay success was especially impressive as the British quartet’s time of 38.21secs was a Championship record and established a new European lead time for this year.

Running the first leg before handing on to Danny Talbot, James Ellington and Andy Robertson, Kilty helped establish a dominant position that his team-mates never looked like passing up.

The Stockton sprinter, who is a world and European indoor champion at 60m, was critical of some of his British colleagues when a below-strength squad failed to qualify for next year’s Olympics at the recent World Relay Championships in the Caribbean.

However, he was much more satisfied with this weekend’s efforts, and feels Britain’s sprinters are gradually getting to grips with a relay format that has proved so troublesome in the past.

“My aim was just to go past those on the outside, and I managed to do that,” said Kilty. “We were too good for them, and it’s a massive improvement from the Bahamas. We’ve all come a long way since then, and it’s a good little squad we’ve got here.”

Ellington, who ran a fast third leg, added: “That’s the fastest we’ve ever run outside of a champs, so to run to 38.2 at this time of year is very positive and we can’t ask for anything more.”

Kilty finished behind France’s Christophe Lemaitre in the final of the individual 100m, in a time of 10.35secs.