Henriette Jæger stormed to the European title and a Norwegian record in the women's 400m final, but the home crowd were denied their biggest individual medal hope in the event after Amber Anning's shock late scratch through injury.

Henriette Jæger confirmed her status as the outstanding one-lap runner in Europe this year, powering to gold in the women's 400m final on Saturday (Aug 15) in 49.04 – a European lead and Norwegian record that underlined just how far clear of the field she has been all season.

It capped a remarkable campaign for the 23-year-old, who arrived in Birmingham having already broken 50 seconds three times this year and collected Diamond League wins in Oslo and Rome. Nobody in the field could live with her pace once the race opened up and she crossed the line with the sort of daylight that made her pre-championships billing as the woman to beat look entirely justified.

"It's so crazy to be here with my second gold of the championships," she said, as she had anchored Norway to mixed relay gold a few days earlier. "After getting fourth in Rome in the 200m - it's insane to be here as champion.

"The race was good. I definitely left it all on the track. I'm just filled with so much excitement and shock right now. Before the race I was telling myself I can do it, I just need to push and believe in myself. That's exactly what I did and that's why I have the gold.

"My new training group with the Dutch has paid off. It's so inspiring to be in camps with them as they all push me. They're not just my training partners but my friends too and I'm so happy I can be with them."

But one of the stories of the night had already been written before the gun even went. Amber Anning, the home crowd's biggest individual hope in the event and the reigning world indoor champion, was withdrawn shortly before the race with an injury suffered in the warm-up, ending her championships and denying Birmingham the chance to see her challenge for what would have been a first individual European outdoor medal on home soil.

Charlotte Henrich stepped in as first reserve in Anning's absence, joining fellow Briton Yemi Mary John in the final. Both acquitted themselves well without troubling the podium, John taking fifth in 51.12 and Henrich, just 20, sixth in 51.29.

Poland's defending champion Natalia Bukowiecka took silver in 50.04, with the Netherlands' Lieke Klaver claiming bronze in 50.15 to add to the outdoor bronze she won in Rome two years ago.

World indoor champion Lurdes Gloria Manuel of the Czech Republic was fourth in 50.86, with Belgium's Helena Ponette seventh and Spain's Paula Sevilla eighth.

Women's 400m: 1 Henriette Jæger (NOR) 49.04 EL, NR; 2 Natalia Bukowiecka (POL) 50.04; 3 Lieke Klaver (NED) 50.15; 4 Lurdes Gloria Manuel (CZE) 50.86; 5 Yemi Mary John (GBR) 51.12; 6 Charlotte Henrich (GBR) 51.29; 7 Helena Ponette (BEL) 51.43; 8 Paula Sevilla (ESP) 52.03