Antonella Palmisano handed Italy the perfect start as hosts of the European athletics championships by winning the opening medal event, the 20km race walk, on Friday. The 32-year-old reigning Olympic champion timed 1hr 28min 09sec around a stunning course in roasting conditions that saw many race walkers using ice packs around their necks.

Palmisano dominated the circuits of the Stadio dei Marmi, the warm-up stadium in Rome's Olympic complex surrounded by 60 four-metre (13ft) tall classical marble statues of athletes dating back to Italy's Fascist era under Benito Mussolini.Lapping rivals at will, Palmisano finished with a celebratory lap in the Stadio Olimpico, draped in an Italian flag, to wild cheering from a small crowd.