MUNICH, June 23: Britain captured the men's crown and Olga Kuzenkova twice bettered the women's hammer world record to help Russia win the women's title in the European Cup yesterday.

Kuzenkova, competing in an event included in the women's programme at the European Cup for the first time, threw 71.22 metres in the first round and then swung the 4.025-kg hammer 73.10 metres in the following round.

Britain, lying fourth in the men's event overnight, collected five victories on Sunday to lift the Bruno Zauli Trophy for the first since 1989. The German hosts had to settle for second place in both men's and women's competitions.

Linford Christie, who made his debut as the British men's captain at the 1989 European Cup, capped his last appearance in the competition by taking joint first place in the 200 metres in 20.56 seconds.

Christie looked certain to win outright until Georgios Panayiotopoulos of Greece made an inspired surge over the last 20 metres to draw level with the 1992 Olympic 100 metres champion.

The victory was a record 17th for Christie in European Cup competitions. It will also be his last if he sticks to his stated intention that this was to be his last Cup outing.

Best British performance came from triple jump world record-holder Jonathan Edwards, who defied the cold and damp conditions to jump 17.74 metres, the best performance in the world this year.

Germany, the 1996 European Cup winners, finished second in the men's competition with 105 points while Russia were third with 104 points.Russia's Maxim Tarasov, the 1992 Olympic champion, cleared a personal best 5.95 metres in the pole vault and scored an important psychological victory over Jean Galfione of France, the 1996 Olympic gold medallist, in the build-up to August's World Championships in Athens. Galfione was second, clearing 5.75 metres.

In women's competition, Russia, the winners in 1993 and 1995, notched 127 points to win from Germany (112) and Britain (86).

Kuzenkova said she had expected for more than a month that she would become the first woman to break the 70-metre barrier in hammer competition.``At the end of May I surpassed 70 metres for the first time,'' she said.``It wasn't measured but it was clear that it was well over 70 metres.''

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.