Munich (Germany) (AFP) - Reigning world indoor champion Mariano Garcia of Spain held off Britain's Jake Wightman to win the men's European 800m title in Munich on Sunday.
Garcia clocked a personal best of 1min 44.85sec for gold, world 1500m champion Wightman taking silver in 1:44.91.
Ireland's Mark English claimed bronze in 1:45.19.
Wightman had stepped down to the 800m after surprising Norway's Jakob Ingebrigtsen for 1500m gold in last month's world championships in Oregon.
The Briton had bet on being able to re-focus better by choosing the two-lap race in Munich as he sought motivation after his shock triumph in Eugene.
But he hadn't counted on Garcia's experience, the Spaniard hugging the inside line after taking the race by the scruff of its neck with 450 metres to run.
Wightman went wide as a bunched field hit the home stretch on the seventh and final day of action at Munich's Olympic Stadium.
Garcia reacted immediately, spurting forward to keep Wightman at bay at the line in a dramatic finish.
