Amy Hunt Seals 4th European Gold in Mixed 4x100m as Britain Wins in 39.97

Q: Will Amy Hunt shatter European Championship history in the mixed relay after her stunning triple gold?

Yes — Amy Hunt has a genuine chance to make European Championships history in the mixed 4x100m relay, but it is far from guaranteed. The facts are strong in her favour. Hunt already has three golds in Birmingham — the 100m, 200m and women’s 4x100m — and victory on Sunday would make her the first athlete in the 92-year history of the championships to win four medals, and specifically four golds, at a single edition. She is in outstanding form, having anchored Britain’s women to relay gold in 42.05 and looked the standout sprinter of the week. Britain also appear well placed. The hosts have been dominant in the short relays, with both the women’s and men’s 4x100m teams winning gold on the same night, and they will have home support plus one of the deepest sprint squads in the field. Hunt herself has said she wants to “be iconic” and has openly targeted the record. But relay history always comes with caveats. Baton exchanges, team selection and execution matter as much as outright speed, and even favourites can lose a medal through one mistake. Hunt has also dealt with low blood pressure and health concerns this season, although there has been no sign of that limiting her in Birmingham. So the outlook is clear: Hunt is the leading face of Britain’s bid to break new ground, and if the baton gets around cleanly, history is within reach.

Q: How did Great Britain's sprint heroes mask a potentially disastrous night for the host nation in Birmingham?

Great Britain’s sprinters masked a night that could otherwise have felt deeply deflating by delivering two high-profile relay golds within 15 minutes and shifting the story back to medals, records and momentum. The women’s 4x100m team of Dina Asher-Smith, Imani-Lara Lansiquot, Success Eduan and Amy Hunt dominated in 42.05 seconds, more than a second clear of Switzerland and Poland. That win gave Hunt her third gold of the championships after the 100m and 200m, and put her on the verge of becoming the first athlete to win four medals at a single European Championships if Britain also take the mixed 4x100m on Sunday. Just before that, the men’s quartet of Jeremiah Azu, Louie Hinchliffe, Zharnel Hughes and Romell Glave won in 38.45, holding off Germany and Belgium. The back-to-back relay titles gave the hosts an emotional and statistical lift, taking Britain to 12 medals, including six golds, and keeping them in touch with Italy in the medal table. Without those sprint results, the evening would have been framed by a series of setbacks. Jake Wightman faded to sixth in the 1500m, with Jake Heyward and Arlo Ludewick fourth and fifth. Katarina Johnson-Thompson finished only 21st in the heptathlon, Amber Anning withdrew from the 400m final injured in the warm-up, and Morgan Lake was eighth in the high jump. Asher-Smith’s historic seventh European gold and 10th overall medal added further gloss, ensuring Britain’s sprint success overshadowed a broader night of disappointment.

3 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Aug 17

Four golds in seven days made Amy Hunt the first Briton to complete a historic European sprint haul, capped by Great Britain's mixed 4x100m relay win in Birmingham.
39.97 seconds delivered the relay title and a European record, completing Hunt's week after she had already taken 100m and 200m gold on home soil.
A full recovery from a 2022 ruptured quadriceps tendon, renewed confidence and a move to Padua to train under Marco Airale helped drive the 24-year-old's breakthrough.
Hunt now turns from continental dominance to global targets, with next year's World Championships in Beijing and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics her stated aims.