Olympic high jump champ upset by Lithuanian at Euro indoors

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) Airine Palsyte beat Olympic high jump champion Ruth Beitia to earn Lithuania's first ever gold medal at the European indoor championships on Saturday.

Beitia couldn't pass 1.94 meters. Meanwhile, Palsyte cleared 1.96 and a final 2.01, improving her national record by a centimeter.

Beitia was left with her sixth silver medal since 2005 at the European indoors.

Czech sprinter Pavel Maslak became the first man to win the 400 meters three times. Maslak, also the two-time world indoor champion, led after the first lap and held off Rafal Omelko of Poland to win by 0.31 seconds, followed by Liemarvin Bonevacia of the Netherlands.

Laura Muir of Britain won the women's 1,500 in style. She broke the 32-year-old championship record by 0.15 of a second, and 15 meters clear of the runner-up. She also showed a nifty sidestep around a track official, who tried to prevent her doing a lap of honor for her first senior title.

Muir races in the 3,000 on Sunday.

Teammate Richard Kilty retained the men's 60 title with ease. Meanwhile, British No. 1 Andrew Robertson was disqualified for a false start.

Also, Olympic pole vault champion Ekaterini Stefanidi of Greece was another dominant champion. She passed at 4.70 and 4.75, and her first-time clearance of 4.80 swept her past her nearest challenger, Lisa Ryzih of Germany. Stefanidi won with 4.85.

Izmir Smajlaj produced Albania's first European indoors medal when he won the long jump in an upset.

Michel Torneus of Sweden was set to repeat as champion with a leap of 8.08 meters, but Smajlaj, with his last jump, matched Torneus and broke his national record by 10 centimeters, and received the gold medal on a countback of fouls. Torneus had three, and Smajlaj two.