 Fallon won gold at last year's World Championship |
Craig Fallon became Britain's first male European judo champion for 10 years when he took the -60kg title. The Wolverhampton star, who won the world title last September, beat defending champion Armen Nazaryan of Armenia in the final by ippon.
Fallon, 23, is the first British male to hold World and European titles since Neil Adams won European gold in 1983.
Fallon beat Olympic silver medallist Nestor Khergiani of Georgia in the semis in the Finnish city of Tampere.
British judo chief Colin McIver said: "Craig's win has confirmed his status as the best 60kg judo player in the world."
Fallon was competing in his first European Championships since he clinched silver in 2003.
Also on Friday, Matthew Purssey finished fifth in the men's -73kg weight category.
On Saturday, Sarah Clark, European bronze medallist in 2004, will be a medal hope in the -63kg after taking bronze at the GB World Cup earlier this month.
Euan Burton, a European bronze medallist in 2005, will also be hoping for success in the -81kg weight category.
On Sunday, four-time European champion Karina Bryant will be looking to hold on to her +78kg title.
Winston Gordon, fifth in the 2004 Athens Olympics, aims to take his first European Championship medal.
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