TIM BENJAMIN bravely battled through the pain barrier to deliver a Welsh-inspired relay silver last night on the final day of the European Championships in Gothenburg.

Welsh athletes have played a starring role in the success of Britain's 4x400m relay team down the years.

Matt Elias, Iwan Thomas and Jamie Baulch have all been part of recent triumphs and although Benjamin and Rhys Williams couldn't secure a sixth consecutive European title, they battled all the way to silver.

"The medical team have held me together this week, my hamstring feels as if it's about to fall off," said Cardiff's Benjamin. I was so disappointed with how I ran in the individual and this really makes up for that.

"We all knew about Britain's pedigree in this event and that put an added bit of pressure on - but all the guys delivered.

"I didn't want to go home with nothing to show for this week but this is a medal for the whole team.

"I just kept battling to the line, I'm just a little disappointed I couldn't have got a little closer to gold. I'm in bits now."

Robert Tobin, Williams and Graham Hedman had secured Britain's place among the medallists but Benjamin was nearly ten metres down on Poland's Daniel Dabrowski at the start of his anchor leg. He chased him down on the home straight but could stop France ending Britain's 20-year unbeaten record in the event.

But Bridgend speedster Williams, who took bronze in the 400m hurdles, was overjoyed to be leaving Sweden with a double medal haul.

"I'm totally exhausted after this week," he admitted. "I found it really hard but I didn't want to let the guys down. To be coming home with two medals is a dream.

"However, I'm not about to get complacent. Now I've done it once, I'm going to put the pressure on myself to keep doing it.

"This has been a breakthrough season for me but it will mean nothing if I don't keep working hard and improving."

Meanwhile, Joice Maduaka's brilliant final leg anchored Britain's team to a shock silver behind clear favourites Russia.

The team of Anyika Onuora, Emma Ania, Emily Freeman and Maduaka crossed the line in 43.51 sec while France, Germany and Belgium all failed to get the baton round in difficult conditions.

Elsewhere, Mo Farah's 5000m silver and a shock 800m bronze for Sam Ellis were the highlights of an improved day for Britain's under-fire athletics team.

They helped Britain to finish the medal table in tenth place with one gold, five silvers and five bronzes - still their worst European Champ-ionship performance since Athens in 1982.