Amy Hunt made history Sunday at the European championships, anchoring Britain’s mixed 4x100m relay squad to victory and securing an unprecedented fourth gold medal in a single meet.
The British quartet of Jeremiah Azu, Dina Asher-Smith, Zharnel Hughes, and Hunt crossed the finish line in a championship record 39.97 seconds. Germany claimed silver while Spain took bronze. Hunt had already collected gold in the 100m, 200m, and women’s 4x100m relay before Sunday’s final. “To finish it off with some of my best friends in the sport, I’m over the moon,” Hunt said.
The mixed relay marked a first for this British lineup, which practiced baton exchanges just an hour before the final. Hunt compared the experience to waiting in line for a roller-coaster. “When you’re queuing and you see the drops, but when you get off you want to do it all again,” she said. “It was so scary, but I love the new opportunity.”
Asher-Smith anchored the second leg and earned her eighth European gold, moving past Croatia’s Sandra Elkasevic and Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen, who each hold seven continental titles. The 30-year-old also became the most decorated European track and field athlete in history, surpassing Poland’s Irena Szewinska with 11 total medals across European championships.
“I was terrified. Absolutely terrified,” Asher-Smith admitted. “When that gun was going I was like, ‘Dina, just relax.’ When I gave that baton to Zharnel I was so happy.”
The relay victory capped a breakout week for British sprinting. Rommel Glave and Azu swept the top two spots in the men’s 100m, Hughes added silver in the 200m, and both men’s and women’s 4x100m relay squads claimed gold.
Azu, the world indoor 60m champion, praised his teammates’ collective firepower. “We are super strong in sprinting, and we wanted to showcase that for the British fans,” he said. Hunt’s rise has caught notice, too. “What she has done at these championships is incredible,” Azu said.
The result sends a clear signal ahead of next year’s world championships, where Britain’s sprint depth could deliver on an even bigger stage.
