Matt Hudson-Smith made a remarkable mark at Birmingham’s Alexander Stadium by clinching his third European Championship 400m title, becoming the first man to achieve this feat. The 31-year-old ran an impressive race in front of a supportive home audience, completing the final in 44.17 seconds. Despite starting in the outermost lane nine, Hudson-Smith established a strong early lead and managed to hold onto it, even as he slightly slowed in the final stretch.
Following Hudson-Smith, France’s Muhammad Abdallah Kounta captured the silver medal with a time of 44.40 seconds. Meanwhile, the Netherlands’ Jonas Phijffers secured the bronze, finishing in a national-record time of 44.41 seconds. Hudson-Smith, who has deep roots in the Birmingham area and has been training at the stadium since his youth, expressed that winning at his home venue held special significance for him.
The achievements for Britain did not end there, as the nation also celebrated a success in the women’s 400m hurdles. Emily Newnham delivered an exceptional performance to claim silver, setting a personal best with a time of 53.33 seconds. Leading the race was Slovakia’s Emma Zapletalova, who took the gold with a time of 52.91 seconds. Portugal’s Fatoumata Binta Diallo rounded out the podium, earning bronze with a national-record time of 53.55 seconds.