Great Britain’s Relay Success
Great Britain’s 4x100m relay teams achieved significant success at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, securing gold medals in both the women’s and men’s events. The women’s quartet, featuring Amy Hunt, Dina Asher-Smith, Imani-Lara Lansiquot, and Success Eduan, finished in 42.05 seconds. This performance placed them ahead of Switzerland (43.12) and Poland (43.15).
Amy Hunt claimed her third gold medal of the championships, following earlier victories in the 100m and 200m. She described her teammates as “superwomen” and highlighted the privilege of competing alongside them. Hunt is now set to attempt to become the first athlete to win four gold medals at a single edition of the event in its 92-year history, with the mixed 4x100m relay scheduled for Sunday.
Dina Asher-Smith secured her seventh gold medal at the championships, a decade after her first. This achievement matches the record tally held by Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Croatian discus thrower Sandra Elkasevic. Asher-Smith also equalled Polish sprinter Irena Szewinska’s overall record of 10 medals at the championships, following her 200m bronze medal on Thursday.
The men’s 4x100m relay team, comprising Jeremiah Azu, Louie Hinchliffe, Zharnel Hughes, and Romell Glave, also won gold, finishing in 38.45 seconds. They outpaced Germany (38.64) and Belgium (38.70). This marked Zharnel Hughes’ fifth European gold, bringing him level with Matthew Hudson-Smith, Mo Farah, and Roger Black as the most successful British man at the championships.
Individual Achievements and Other Events
The two relay victories brought Great Britain’s total medal count to 12, including six gold medals, as the host nation continued its pursuit of table-topping Italy heading into the final day of competition. Amy Hunt’s 100m gold was her first senior international title, and she later held off Dina Asher-Smith in the 200m before contributing to the relay win.
In other events, Great Britain’s 40-year wait for a men’s 1500m title continued. Jake Wightman finished sixth (3:37.18), while teammates Jake Heyward (3:36.40) and Arlo Ludewick (3:36.65) placed fourth and fifth respectively, narrowly missing out on medals. The gold in this event was won by Stefan Nillessen of the Netherlands in three minutes 35.70 seconds.
Katarina Johnson-Thompson finished 21st in the heptathlon, with British teammate Jade O’Dowda in 13th. Ireland’s Kate O’Connor secured the European gold in the heptathlon. In the women’s high jump final, Morgan Lake cleared 1.88 metres for eighth place, an event won by Yaroslava Mahuchikh of Ukraine with a first-time clearance over 1.97m.
There was disappointment for Amber Anning, the 2025 world indoor champion, who withdrew from the women’s 400m final due to an injury sustained during her warm-up. Yemi Mary John placed fifth in 51.12 seconds, ahead of Charlotte Henrich (51.29), who replaced Anning. Norway’s Henriette Jaeger took a dominant victory in the 400m with a time of 49.04 seconds.
Andy Diaz of Italy won the men’s triple jump with an effort of 18.15m, with Pedro Pichardo of Portugal taking silver with 17.76m, and Italy’s Andrea Dallavalle claiming bronze with 17.37m. The mixed 4x100m relay is a new addition to these championships, offering Dina Asher-Smith a potential opportunity to become the outright most successful athlete in championship history if she participates with Amy Hunt.
Amy Hunt expressed her enjoyment of the event, stating, “It’s such a privilege to be able to step on the track with these ladies and the individual superpowers that we bring. It’s no joke. We were all superwomen together out there, and it was so much fun.”
Dina Asher-Smith reflected on her achievements, saying, “That was my aim, honestly, coming into this season. I knew that with the last European Championships, I was getting a bit close, so it was just in my vision board, but not in the forefront. I’m proud to have done it. It’s been over a decade of hard work with some incredible ladies and incredible championships. So yeah, I’m very happy.”
The final day of competition for the European Athletics Championships is Sunday.
Source: bbc.co.uk