Amy Hunt has written her name into the record books with a stunning display of sprinting excellence at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, becoming the first athlete to win four gold medals across all sprint events at a single edition of the competition. The Team GB star capped off a remarkable week by anchoring the 4x100m mixed relay team to victory alongside Jeremiah Azu, Dina Asher-Smith and Zharnel Hughes, smashing the European record with a time of 39.95 seconds in front of an ecstatic home crowd.
Hunt’s achievement surpasses even the legendary Dutch sprinter Fanny Blankers-Koen, who won three golds and a silver at the 1950 European Championships. Where Blankers-Koen fell just short of a clean sweep, Hunt dominated all four sprinting events with commanding performances that left her rivals trailing in her wake. Germany claimed silver in the mixed relay final, while Spain took bronze, but the evening belonged emphatically to the British quartet who delivered when it mattered most.
The magnitude of Hunt’s accomplishment becomes clear when examining her week in the Midlands. She stormed to individual gold medals in both the 100m and 200m before teaming up with Imani-Lara Lansiquot, Success Eduan and Asher-Smith to claim victory in the women’s 4x100m relay. Each triumph built momentum toward the historic quadruple, with Hunt displaying remarkable consistency and composure under mounting pressure and expectation.
Speaking moments after her fourth gold medal was confirmed, an elated Hunt could barely contain her joy. “Oh my gosh, I am over the moon and I think to finish it off with my best friends in sport you know,” she said. “To do it all together is incredible. That was the first time we did that ceover an hour ago in warm-ups and look how smooth it was, such professionals!” Her comments revealed not just the natural talent on display but the meticulous preparation that underpinned British success throughout the championships.
Hunt’s heroics were matched by Asher-Smith, who moved into a league of her own in the European Championships record books. With her gold medal in the mixed relay, Asher-Smith now stands alone as the most decorated athlete in the competition’s history, surpassing the joint record of seven medals previously held by Sandra Elkasevic and Jakob Ingebrigsten. Despite her vast experience, Asher-Smith admitted to pre-race nerves, confessing she was “terrified” before the gun went off and relieved to hand the baton on to a teammate. Her honesty and vulnerability only added to the sense of achievement when the quartet crossed the line in record time.
For British athletics, the championships represent a watershed moment that could inspire a new generation of sprinters. Azu praised his teammates after the race, noting that running alongside “the two best British athletes in history” was a privilege, while acknowledging Hunt’s meteoric rise. “What she has done at these Championships is incredible,” he said. As Hunt continues her ascent and Asher-Smith cements her legacy, the future of British sprinting looks brighter than ever. The performances in Birmingham have set a new standard, one that will challenge and motivate athletes for years to come while reminding the athletics world that British speed is a force to be reckoned with on the European stage.
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