Amy Hunt Completes European Sprint Double in Birmingham
Amy Hunt won the women's 200m gold at the 2026 European Athletics Championships in 22.19 seconds, completing a sprint double after her 100m title three days earlier.
In front of roughly 20,000 fans at Birmingham's Alexander Stadium, Hunt crossed the line ahead of Ireland's Rhasidat Adeleke, who took silver in 22.28. Britain's Dina Asher-Smith — a two-time European 200m champion before this race — finished third, just one hundredth of a second behind Adeleke (The Guardian).
The margin was razor-thin. Asher-Smith, who arrived at the championships holding one of the three fastest season's bests in the event alongside Hunt and Success Eduan, missed bronze by the smallest unit the clock can measure.
Hunt, a 24-year-old Cambridge graduate, had already won the 100m on Monday, August 10, in 11.00 seconds. BBC Sport called that performance her "coming of age" moment (BBC Sport). The 200m gold confirmed it was no one-off.
What makes the double remarkable is what Hunt has been managing behind the scenes. Throughout 2026, she has struggled with low blood pressure, nearly fainting after many of her 200m races. To win the biggest one of her life — and survive it — required not just speed but careful management of a body that has repeatedly pushed itself to the edge.
The evening also delivered a milestone for Ireland. Mark English, a 33-year-old doctor from Donegal, became the first Irishman to win a male European Athletics Championships gold medal, taking the 800m in 1:45.26. Marino Bloudek won silver; Mohamed Attaoui took bronze. Britain's Max Burgin, a medal contender, was forced to withdraw minutes before the race after suffering an injury in the warmup (The Guardian).
There was disappointment elsewhere for the host nation. Elise Thorner entered the 3,000m steeplechase as the fastest European over the distance in 2026 but came away without a medal.
For British athletics, though, Birmingham 2026 will be remembered for Hunt. Two races, two golds, and a 24-year-old who once balanced Cambridge exams with track blocks now stands as the continent's fastest woman across both sprint distances. The crowd at Alexander Stadium knew what they had seen.
