Associated Press Writer

MUNICH, Germany (AP) Little-known Sureyya Ayhan of Turkey ran the fastest women's 1,500 time in the world this year to beat world champion Gabriela Szabo on Sunday's final day of the European track and field championships.

Ayhan, whose previous best finish was eighth at the worlds last year, held off Szabo in the final stretch to win in 3 minutes, 58.79 seconds - just .02 ahead of Szabo.

"Even if you offered me the whole world, I'd rather take this gold medal," Ayhan said. "Shortly after the race I felt really sick. It was just so exhausting, all the emotions and the atmosphere in the stadium."

Ayhan cut more than four seconds off her personal-best time. The previous fastest time in the world this year was 4:01.01, by Alesya Turova of Belarus.

Szabo, meanwhile, could scarcely believe the Turk's performance. Szabo, the Romanian who's also the defending Olympic champion in the 5,000, had not seen Ayhan race since last year's world championships in Edmonton.

"It looks like the 1,500 meter are definitely not my specialty," Szabo said.

In other events, world record-holder and three-time world champion Wilson Kipketer of Denmark won the men's 800 for his first European gold. The Kenyan-born Kipketer, who was upset at the 2000 Olympics by German Nils Schumann, won the race in 1:47.25. Defending world champion Andre Bucher of Switzerland took the silver medal, and Schumann - the defending European champion - was third.

Kipketer has struggled to come back from a knee injury last August that kept him from competing in the indoor season.

"I was so happy to come back in winning mood after so many problems," he said.

Russia led the championships with seven gold medals, nine silver and eight bronze, ahead of Britain, which had seven golds, one silver and six bronze.

Finland's Janne Holmen - the youngest competitor in the men's marathon - endured driving rain and cold temperatures to win the race in two hours, 12 minutes, 14 seconds. Holmen, 24, grabbed the early lead in the race to win his first major international title.

Hungary's Robert Fazekas set a championships record of 225 feet, 10 inches in the men's discus to upset Olympic champion Virgilijus Alenka of Lithuania, whose best throw was 218-7.

Other winners on the final day included world leader Kajsa Bergqvist of Sweden in the high jump and Olekisy Lukashevich of the Ukraine. Britain won the 4x400 men's relay for the fifth straight time, and Germany won the women's 4x400.

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