Amy Hunt makes history with fourth gold at European Athletics Championships
Amy Hunt is officially a history-maker and a record-breaker for good measure too.
Hunt joined forces with Jeremiah Azu, Dina Asher-Smith and Zharnel Hughes to scorch to mixed 4x100m gold in a new European record of 39.97sec.
She becomes the first athlete to win four golds at the same European Athletics Championships after her success in the 100m, 200m and women’s sprint relay.
Relay running is all about timing and trust, but the mixed event, which makes its Olympic debut in Los Angeles, is new on the programme and presents a unique technical challenge.
Differences in speed, stride length and acceleration between male and female athletes make the changeovers particularly difficult to perfect.
But despite limited practice time, Hunt waited, heart in mouth, on the anchor leg and then powered down the home straight to hold off a fast-finishing Germany in a thriller.
“Four golds was the dream and perhaps dreams do come true,” said Hunt.
“I don’t think I can begin to communicate what it means. It’s so beyond the bounds of my dreams that I’m just euphoric right now. I can’t believe it’s happening.
“I think it will sink in later, maybe on the podium, I don’t know. I’m just so proud of myself and the way I’ve handled this week — the emotions, the recovery and being strict and staying disciplined after all the highs. I’ve stayed true to myself and true to the job I came out here to do.
“I’ll never forget this week and to finish it off with my best friends in the sport is so special.
“We’d not worked on these changeovers until about an hour ago and we were so smooth. I can’t wait to see where we take this event.
“It was like queueing for a rollercoaster — you are just so nervous, but when you’re done you want to do it all over again.”
Hunt, 24, writes a new chapter in the sport and so does Asher-Smith. No athlete has ever won more medals at the European Championships — 11 and counting, with eight of them gold.
“When I started in this sport, all I wanted to be was fast,” said Asher-Smith.
“I’m incredibly humbled and grateful to be in this position and still medalling 12 years after my European debut and 13 years after my senior debut as a 17-year-old.”
Hunt’s next challenge will be to take her European domination and translate it onto the global stage.
Her 200m world silver last year shows what’s possible, but there are 13 faster athletes in the world this season over the distance and 24 in the 100m.
However, her regular racing schedule in both events means she has a world ranking that should secure an invite to the £7m World Athletics Ultimate Championships in Budapest next month.
And that will be a gilt-edged chance to test where she stands ahead of next year’s Worlds in Beijing and, beyond that, LA, which she makes no secret is her North Star ambition.
“We’re the best sprint nation in Europe, we’ve cleaned up, but we want to be the best in the world too,” added Hunt.
“It’s just euphoric. We all push each other on. When you see other people winning medals, you want to get out there and get a bit of that for yourself.
“It just shows the strength that British athletics has right now. We’re entering this era of dominance.”
Great Britain end these championships having won every individual and relay title except the men’s 200m, where Hughes was denied by Germany’s Owen Ansah, racing under the shadow of a potential four-year ban for allegedly failing to comply with a doping test.
Hughes’s upgrade may yet come, but he’s excited about what this mixed sprint team, overseen by Olympic medallist Richard Kilty, can do with more time to shave hundredths off their new record by drilling their changeovers.
“It’s all so new and I can only imagine how much better we can get at it,” he said. “We only practised it tonight.
“It’s definitely an event that’s going to be spectacular in the future. I’m looking forward to doing it again. We’ve got a really exciting two years ahead with these guys.”
Birmingham has been conquered. Now Hunt and Britain’s sprint stars have two years to prove they can rule the world in LA.
Novuna is the Official Finance Partner of British Athletics and proud sponsor of the GB & NI Athletics Team. From everyday goals to world-class dreams, Novuna backs the ambition of millions across the UK — from supporting British businesses and individuals’ plans, to powering British Athletics on the global stage. Find out more at www.novuna.co.uk
