British athletes will head into the Birmingham 2026 European Athletics Championships with genuine medal ambitions. Competing in front of a home crowd at Alexander Stadium, which will host the continental championships for the very first time, the United Kingdom has selected a squad of 98 athletes capable of finishing at the top of the medal table. Despite the notable absences of Molly Caudery and Josh Kerr, the British team combines proven championship performers with an exciting new generation of talent ready to make its mark on the European stage.
By selecting 98 athletes, the British federation has made its intentions perfectly clear. A home championships presents a unique opportunity not only to reinforce the United Kingdom’s position as one of Europe’s leading athletics nations, but also to provide invaluable senior championship experience to several promising young athletes. There is certainly no shortage of established stars either. Matthew Hudson-Smith will attempt to retain his European 400m title on home soil, while Dina Asher-Smith will defend her 200m crown and Keely Hodgkinson will return as the reigning champion over 800m. Georgia Hunter Bell, Amber Anning, Amy Hunt, Zharnel Hughes and Katarina Johnson-Thompson are also expected to challenge for medals in their respective disciplines.
There are, however, two significant absentees. Molly Caudery, a two-time World Indoor pole vault champion, looked ideally placed to claim her first European outdoor title before another injury brought an early end to her summer campaign. Josh Kerr, meanwhile, had made it clear for several months that Birmingham was never part of his racing programme. The Olympic silver medallist instead built his season around his successful mile world record attempt at the London Diamond League and the Commonwealth Games, where he is currently competing.
On the track, sprinting is undoubtedly where the British squad possesses its greatest medal potential. Romell Glave arrives in the form of his life. The second-fastest European this season with 9.97 seconds, just one hundredth behind Lamont Marcell Jacobs, the 2024 European bronze medallist has broken the 10-second barrier in five of his last six races and looks like a genuine contender for the continental title. Jeremiah Azu and Louie Hinchcliffe also have the credentials to challenge for podium places in a field that includes Germany’s Owen Ansah, who remains eligible to compete despite an ongoing anti-doping case relating to an alleged failure to comply with testing procedures rather than a positive test. Over 200 metres, Zharnel Hughes starts as the clear favourite to retain his European crown, while highly-rated youngster Ebuka Nwokeji will make his senior championship debut.
The men’s 400m could also be dominated by British athletes. Matthew Hudson-Smith owns the fastest European performance of the year by almost two tenths of a second ahead of Samuel Vessat and will be backed up by Charlie Dobson and Ben Jefferies, both of whom have produced times capable of putting them firmly in medal contention. The relay programme is another major strength for the United Kingdom. All six relay squads – men’s, women’s and mixed over both 4x100m and 4x400m – possess the depth and overall quality required to target European gold medals. Middle-distance running also offers several realistic medal opportunities. Max Burgin and Ben Pattison rank among Europe’s three fastest men over 800m this season and should feature prominently in what is traditionally one of the most tactical races of any championship. Over 1500m, Josh Kerr’s absence opens up the event considerably, but 2022 world champion Jake Wightman and the fully fit Jake Heyward both have the experience and ability to challenge for the podium. Less well known internationally, Arlo Ludwick has enjoyed a remarkable breakthrough campaign and could prove one of the surprises of the championships. Scott Beattie appears capable of fighting for a medal in the 10,000m, while Kristian Imroth could also feature in the battle for bronze in the 3000m steeplechase behind leading contenders, respectively Mohamed Abdilaahi and Frederik Ruppert.
The outlook is arguably even brighter in the women’s events. Amy Hunt, currently the second-fastest European woman over 100m this season, has every reason to believe a continental title is within reach. Alongside Dina Asher-Smith, Daryll Neita and Imani Lansiquot, the British team could realistically place several athletes in the final. The 200m looks even more promising, with Hunt, Asher-Smith and rising star Success Eduan holding the three fastest European performances of the year. A British clean sweep is therefore far from unrealistic. The women’s 400m promises to be one of the highlights of the championships. Amber Anning, Yemi Mary John and, perhaps most excitingly, 19-year-old Charlotte Henrich will all have major roles to play. Henrich’s stunning 50.45 clocking from lane 1 at the London Diamond League confirmed her rapid development and underlined her enormous potential. Even with the presence of outstanding rivals such as Henriette Jaeger and Lurdes Gloria Manuel, the British contingent has every chance of featuring prominently in the medal race.
Keely Hodgkinson no longer arrives as the overwhelming favourite in the women’s 800m following Audrey Werro’s remarkable breakthrough over the past month. Although the British star remains only fractions behind the Swiss athlete on the European rankings, a demanding season that has included an indoor world record, injury setbacks and the emergence of a new rival may have slightly affected her confidence. Nevertheless, Hodgkinson remains one of the finest championship racers in the world and fully capable of reclaiming the European title. Georgia Hunter Bell, meanwhile, has established herself as the benchmark over 1500m in Europe this season and will start as the woman to beat in Birmingham. In the 3000m steeplechase, Elise Thorner also carries favourite status after recording the fastest European performance of the year. That position has only been strengthened by her impressive silver medal at yesterday’s Commonwealth Games, where she finished ahead of Peruth Chemutai, the world’s fastest performer this season. The German pair of Gesa Krause and Lea Meyer nevertheless ensure that the fight for gold promises to be one of the most competitive distance events of the week.
The field events should also provide some medal opportunities for the United Kingdom. Kimani Jack has been one of the revelations of the British season and arrives with the third-best European performance among the entrants in the high jump. If he can reproduce the level he has shown throughout recent weeks, he has every chance of competing for the title. The NCAA champion is expected to face his toughest opposition from Czech athlete Jan Štefela and Ukraine’s Oleh Doroshchuk, who denied him victory during his Diamond League debut in Monaco earlier this summer.
In the shot put, Scott Lincoln will once again attempt to secure the major international medal that has narrowly eluded him throughout much of his career, although Italy’s Leonardo Fabbri appears to be the clear favourite for gold. Finally, Lawrence Okoye enters the discus competition ranked fourth in Europe this season. He will line up against a field featuring several of the world’s very best throwers, ensuring that any medal would represent one of the outstanding achievements of the championships for the British team.
