The dynamic duo of British distance running were back in the Montjuic Olympic arena early yesterday evening, collecting the rewards for their efforts in the thriller of a men's 10,000m final the night before. Mo Farah was presented with his gold medal and Chris Thompson with his silver.

Four years ago she was the home golden girl of the last European Championships; yesterday she avoided a qualifying-round exit by the tightest of margins. Back in 2006 Carolina Kluft was still an invincible force in the heptathlon. No one could come close to the Swede in the seven-event competition at the Ullevi Stadium in Gothenburg. She retained her continental title by a margin of 317 points, setting a championship record of 6,740 points.

The main bulk of the British track and field team arrived in Barcelona yesterday, ready to chase gold, silver and bronze when the European Championships open in the Montjuic Olympic Stadium tomorrow. They were greeted by some good news and some not-so-good.

It remains to be seen how many of Britain's runners, jumpers and throwers will manage to be poetry in motion at the European Championships in Barcelona next week.

Another one bit the dust yesterday, as Greg Rutherford's name was added to the list of the great and good of British athletics who will not be going for gold, silver or bronze when the European Championships open for business at the Montjuic Olympic Stadium in Barcelona next Tuesday.

It was in Turin 12 months ago that Teddy Tamgho first made himself known to Jonathan Edwards.

And then there were three. When the Great Britain team depart for Doha today, ahead of the World Indoor Championships, which open in the Qatari capital on Friday, one of their major hopes for gold will be left at home holding the baby. Phillips Idowu made the late decision yesterday to take paternity leave instead of defending the triple jump title he won in Valencia two years ago. Which leaves British hopes for global indoor gold pinned on the shoulders of Jessica Ennis, Jenny Meadows and Dwain Chambers.

There was a time when Phillips Idowu was like Forrest Gump's box of chocolates: you never knew what you were going to get when he set off down the triple jump runway. Now, having gained a level of consistency that has taken him to the top of the hop, step and jump game with World Championship titles indoors and out, the big Belgrave Harrier is becoming something like Churchill's vision of Russia: a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma. Twice last week Idowu declined to say whether he would be defending his world indoor crown in Doha next week. "If you see me in the world indoors, you'll see me in the world indoors," he said.

She wasn't quite travelling at 90mph around the tightly-banked 200m track in the National Indoor Arena, but like her one-time age-group rival Jenny Meadows, the 5ft 1in Pocket Rocket, sped her way into the record books yesterday. Not that it was much of a rivalry between the burgeoning star of the indoor track and field season and the new golden girl of British sport.

While Jessica Ennis has withdrawn from tomorrow's Grand Prix in Birmingham to recover fully from a foot problem in time for the World Indoor Championships next month, a question mark has suddenly emerged about whether Great Britain's other reigning outdoor world champion will be going for gold in Doha next month.