Auto Amazon Links: No products found.
Britain’s Amy Hunt continued her impressive run at the European Championships by clinching her second gold medal, this time in the 200m, as she aims to achieve an unprecedented quadruple victory in Birmingham. At just 24 years old, Hunt expressed her ambition to “be iconic” by becoming the first athlete to secure four European golds in a single championship. Following her 100m triumph earlier in the week, she crossed the 200m finish line in a season-best 22.19 seconds on Thursday, narrowly overtaking fellow Briton Dina Asher-Smith down the back straight.
After the race, Hunt enthusiastically declared, “Two out of four, baby!” to BBC TV, describing the week as “magical” and something she would “remember for the rest of my life.” While she has already claimed two golds, Hunt is set to compete in the women’s and mixed 4x100m relays later in the championships, insisting there will be “no celebrations and no champagne until Sunday night.” She emphasized her commitment to her teammates, stating, “I have got a debt to the ladies. We have got to come out here and make sure we show them who the best sprinting nation is in Europe.”
In the 200m final, Ireland’s Rhasidat Adeleke took silver with a new national record, edging out Asher-Smith by a mere 0.01 seconds, who settled for bronze. This marked Asher-Smith’s ninth European medal, a record surpassed only by Polish sprint legend Irena Szewinska, who amassed ten. On BBC Radio 5 Live, two-time European 200m silver medallist Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake commented, “I knew Dina would run a blistering bend and then say ‘Amy, come and catch me.’ And that’s what Amy has done.” Former British 400m athlete Allison Curbishley added, “Dina was not handing it to Amy. She was going to make her work hard. Asher-Smith held on as hard as she could. Then she started to over-stride, and the hips dropped.”
Despite a fast start, Asher-Smith couldn’t maintain her pace against Hunt and Adeleke. Having finished fifth in Monday’s 100m final, Asher-Smith was aiming for a seventh gold to become the joint-most successful athlete in European Championships history but had to settle for bronze. Reflecting on her achievement, she told BBC TV, “I’m disappointed to have a bronze, but I think 10 years after my first one it is such an achievement to be in a place to come back year after year. It doesn’t matter what’s going on in my life, just come and continue to be one of the fastest women in the world. Happy to have done that today.” The race had initially raised hopes of a British sweep, with Hunt, Asher-Smith, and European front-runner Zoey Clark all holding the three fastest European times of the season. However, Clark finished sixth.
Hunt’s victory contributes to Britain’s continued sprinting dominance in Birmingham, following a one-two finish by Romell Glave and Jeremiah Azu in the men’s 100m, and Matthew Hudson-Smith’s commanding win in the 400m earlier in the week. As the championships progress, Hunt’s historic quest for four gold medals remains a thrilling storyline for British athletics fans
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
Auto Amazon Links: No products found.