European Team Championships: Great Britain fade to fourth

Germany's victory was their third since the European Cup was re-designed as the European Team Championships in 2009

Great Britain were pipped to a European Team Championships podium finish as the men's 4x400m relay team came ninth in the final event in Lille, France.

Great Britain had been three clear of France in the standings, but, disrupted by Delano Williams' late injury, the British quartet were well off the pace.

France's came fifth in the event to take overall third by a single point.

However, Britons Marc Scott and Ben Williams both earned creditable second-place finishes.

They were part of a developmental team with many of the higher-profile athletes opting to concentrate on securing their place at August's World Championship via next weekend's British Team Trials instead.

Scott, who won the United States' collegiate 10,000m title earlier this month, came second in the 3,000m in a personal best of 7:58.52.

"For my first senior Great Britain vest I'm really pleased with second place, said the 23-year-old Yorkshireman, who is studying sports and exercise science at University of Tulsa.

"I was beaten by a very good guy in Czech Jakub Holusa, who is a many-time Olympian, and I am feeling pretty good going into trials next week."

Williams finished second in the triple jump with a leap of 16.73m that was just a centimetre short of his personal best.

"It was my first Great Britain vest in six years so it was awesome to put on these colours again," said the 25-year-old, who won gold at the World Youth Games in 2009.

Welsh hurdler David Omoregie finished third in the 110m hurdles with Nick Miller and James Bowness doing the same in the hammer and 800m respectively.

Morgan Lake could only manage a disappointing 1.85m and a share of seventh place in the high jump, while fellow Rio 2016 finalist Jazmin Sawyers finished fourth in the long jump in 6.42m,

The women's 4x400m relay team came fourth as anchor Anyika Onuora slipped from second in a competitive final leg.

On a more successful opening day of action for Great Britain, Harry Aikines-Aryeetey and Eilidh Doyle were among Saturday's winners.

Germany regained the overall team title they lost in 2015 with London 2012 discus champion Robert Harting among their winners on the final day.

Holders Russia missed the competition and have been relegated to the second-tier of European athletics as part of their ban from the sport for state-sponsored doping.

Final standings