European Team Championships: Eilidh Child sets new best time

Eilidh Child was thrilled to smash her own Scottish record in winning the 400m hurdles at the European Team Championships in Gateshead.

The 26-year-old from Perth was more than half a second in front of the field as she finished in 54.42.

"The conditions were not perfect, so I couldn't believe it was a PB (personal best)," she told BBC Sport.

"I just wanted to attack the race from the start because I had the wind behind me and keep the hurdling smooth."

Child, who reached the semi-finals at last year's Olympics in London, led from the start in what was a dominant victory, ahead of Hanna Yaroshchuk from Ukraine and Russia's Vera Rudakova.

"The last few faces I've been finishing far too strong and I've not been going out hard enough," she explained.

"So, I think I got it just about spot on."

The 2010 Commonwealth Games silver medallist had achieved new Scottish records on the flat over 400m indoors earlier this year.

And Child's latest impressive run puts a marker down for the World Championships in Moscow, with a place in the final in Russia already her stated goal.

Great Britain ended the first day of the European Team Championships in third place, behind Germany and Russia.