Tyrone Edgar gained a much-needed 100metres victory as the Norwich Union Great Britain men and women's teams laboured in the sunshine at the European Cup in Annecy on Saturday afternoon.

The 26-year-old US-based sprinter became the seventh British winner of the event when he followed in the footsteps of last year's champion Craig Pickering.

Edgar, the fastest man in the field, bolted down the track into a strong headwind of 1.8metres/seconds, to win narrowly ahead France's Martial Mbandjock and Tobias Unger from Germany.

It was a much-needed victory with both teams struggling in the early field events to match the class of the opposition, with the track stars traditionally expected to make up lost ground.

After four events Edgar's maximum points moved the men up to fourth behind France, Italy and Poland while the women were second last as Ukraine led their contest from Russia and Italy.

Emma Anier finished quickly in her 100m race, but was outpaced by Belarussia's reigning Olympic champion Yulia Nesterenko who beat her by 0.05seconds with a season's best of 11.17secs.

Natasha Danvers failed to regain the 400m hurdles title she won two years ago when the women were relegated in Malaga, finishing seventh in a time of 57.06secs.

It was a disappointing display from the team captain who had looked a good bet to challenge for a podium place coming off the final bend.

Ukraine's Anastasiya Rabchenyuk produced a European leader for the year of 54.64 won from Poland's world bronze medallist Anna Jesien with Germany's Jonna Tilgner third.

Channel Islander Dale Garland placed fifth in his 400m hurdles race clocking 50.65 well behind Greece's defending champion Periklis Iakovakis who crossed the line in 49.15.

Samson Oni could have been expected to finish higher than fifth in the high jump with Mike Floyd seventh in the hammer.

Floyd's performance like those of Louise Butterworth seventh in the pole vault and Nony Mordy last in the triple jump were predictable.

Jenny Meadows took up the women's cause to stave off relegation after their elevation from First League status 12 months ago, with a thrilling 800m victory.

Meadows managed to stay out of trouble when Italy's Elisa Cusma Piccione fell on the centre of the final bend, to score the best victory of her career.

The 27-year-old Lancastrian, making her Cup debut, blew away her rivals with a scorching break 80m from the line to win easily in a time of two minutes 1.20seconds.

Last summer's World 400m silver medallist Nicola Sanders added to the tally when pulling away from her rivals for a relatively easy win in 51.17.

Sanders, running her first race of the season after her start was a delayed by a knee injury, flew off the final bend to thwart the ambitions of the opposition.

Nataliya Pyhyda tried to make inroads in the last 50m, but Sanders responded by stretching her legs to win comfortably ahead of the Ukrainian and Russia's Tatyana Veshkurova.

It was then Martyn Rooney's turn to show the dominance of British one-lap runners with an equally convincing display in his race.

The world junior bronze medallist striding magnificently down the backstraight, was challenged coming off the last bend by Claudio Licciardello and Denis Alekseyeva.

But Europe's fastest performer this summer pulled away to beat the pair easily with a time of 45.33.

His display moved the men into second place just four points behind France after six events.

The women improved to fourth 11 points behind the leader and defending champions, Russia after eight.

Mo Farah kept a low profile in the 5,000m until there were just over five laps remaining, when he put in the fastest circuit of the track to move to the front.

That increase in pace took the European silver medallist to a victory well ahead of Carles Castillejo and Daniele Meucci, the latter of whom had done much of the early leading.

Farah, in becoming the first Briton to win the event since John Mayock's success in 2004, clocked 13min 44.07sec. His brilliant success saw the British men move just a point behind France after eight events.

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