Amy Hunt secured her third gold medal of the week, contributing to a significant night for British athletics at the European Championships. She joined Dina Asher-Smith, Success Eduan, and Imani-Lara Lansiquot to win the women’s 4x100m relay. Their victory was achieved in 42.05 seconds, marking the fastest time in Europe this season.
Hunt, who had previously won individual gold in both the 100m and 200m, expressed her enjoyment of the week, highlighting the talent of her teammates. She noted that Asher-Smith has a history of winning medals, Eduan is completing a midwifery degree, and Lansiquot has written a play.
Asher-Smith’s gold medal in the relay brought her total to ten medals at the European Championships since her debut, matching Polish sprinter Irena Szewińska. Seven of these medals are gold, a record she shares with Croatian discus thrower Sandra Elkasevic and Norwegian middle-distance runner Jakob Ingebrigtsen. Asher-Smith, who studied history at King’s College London, reflected on her achievements, stating that while she hears the statistics, she hopes to fully appreciate them in the future.
The British men’s 4x100m relay team also claimed gold earlier in the evening. Jeremiah Azu, Louis Hinchcliffe, Zharnel Hughes, and Romell Glave secured their victory, marking the fifth time in the last six championships that the British men have won this event. Glave, the 100m champion, anchored the team to success, with Germany and Belgium finishing behind them.
Azu, a 100m silver medallist, mentioned the strong relationship within the team and their shared goals for the coming years. Both British relay quartets are expected to compete in the mixed event on Sunday.
Other notable performances
The championships featured several other remarkable performances. In the triple jump, Italy’s Andy Díaz achieved a leap of 18.15m, securing gold and marking the fourth furthest jump in history. He finished 39cm ahead of Portugal’s Pedro Pichardo.
Sweden’s Andreas Almgren delivered a dominant performance in the men’s 10,000m, winning by nearly 20 seconds in a championship record time of 27mins 23.44secs. Dominic Lobalu of Switzerland took silver, while world champion Jimmy Gressier earned bronze.
Germany’s Julian Weber broke Steve Backley’s javelin championship record with a throw of 90.40m in the final round, surpassing his compatriot Nick Thumm. Backley praised Weber’s performance, stating that records are meant to be broken.
In the women’s 400m, Norway’s Henriette Jaeger won gold in 49.04, ahead of Natalia Bukowiecka of Poland and Lieke Klaver of the Netherlands. Ireland’s Kate O’Connor secured gold in the women’s heptathlon with a score of 6751, dedicating her win to her father and coach, Michael.
The men’s 1500m saw an unexpected victory for Stefan Nillessen, who won in 3:35.70. World champion Isaac Nader finished tenth, and Jake Wightman, a silver medallist from 2025, faded in the final stages. In the women’s high jump, Yaroslava Mahuchikh cleared 1.97m to claim gold, beating Maria Zodzik of Poland and Marija Vukovic of Montenegro.
Hunt’s individual sprint double
Earlier in the week, Hunt completed a superb individual sprint double by adding the European 200m crown to her 100m title. She won the 200m in 22.19, with Ireland’s Rhasidat Adeleke taking silver in 22.28, and Asher-Smith securing bronze in 22.29. Hunt had previously won the 100m in 11.00.
Matthew Hudson-Smith also had a significant moment for the host nation, winning a record third European 400m title on his home track. Starting in lane nine, he maintained a clear lead to win in 44.17. Muhammad Abdallah Kounta of France took silver, and Jonas Phijffers of the Netherlands earned bronze.
Emma Zapletalová, a world bronze medallist, dominated the women’s 400m hurdles, winning in 52.91. Britain’s Emily Newnham secured silver, and Portugal’s Fatoumata Binta Diallo claimed bronze. In the decathlon, Leo Neugebauer held off Niklas Kaul to win by 38 points. Neugebauer had led for much of the competition, with Kaul closing the gap significantly in the javelin event.
Ireland’s Mark English won his first European outdoor title in the 800m with a time of 1:45.26. He had previously set a championship record in the semifinals. Switzerland’s Angelica Moser retained her pole vault crown, clearing 4.80m. Germany’s Gesa Felicitas Krause won her third European steeplechase title in 9:12.69.
Katarina Johnson-Thompson finished 23rd in the heptathlon, stating she had a difficult season and lacked the necessary preparation. She is reported to have been dealing with a calf injury.
Source: independent.co.uk