Keely Hodgkinson clung onto her 800 metres title after holding off Slovakia’s Gabriela Gajanova at the European Athletics Championships in Rome.
The 22-year-old led from the front to win in a time of 58.65 seconds but was pushed to the line by the fast-finishing Gajanova, who took silver in 58.79.
Hodgkinson’s winning time was significantly slower than the 58.07 she clocked in sealing her place in the final on Tuesday as fastest qualifier.
Hodgkinson is gunning for gold in Paris this summer having had to settle for silver at both the delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympics and the two most recent World Championships.
Earlier, Ireland’s team of Sophie Becker, Rhasidat Adeleke, Phil Healy and Sharlene Mawdsley set a new national record as they claimed the silver medal in the women’s 4x400m relay.
The quartet finished in a time of 3:22.71 behind a Netherlands team anchored by world 400m hurdles champion Femke Bol, with Belgium taking bronze.