Amy Hunt claimed a second European title in Birmingham by winning the 200 metres, just days after securing gold in the 100m. The British sprinter, already impressive in the semi-finals, confirmed her status as favourite by winning in 22.19, the fastest European performance of the year. She finished ahead of Rhasidat Adeleke, who set a new national record of 22.28, while fellow British sprinter Dina Asher-Smith took bronze in 22.29. With two individual titles to her name, Hunt has therefore completed the sprint double over 100m and 200m, with the women’s 4x100m and mixed 4x100m relays still to come and potentially offering further opportunities for medals in Birmingham.
Amy Hunt confirms her superiority over 200m to complete the double
Amy Hunt made her first appearance in the competition in the semi-finals. As one of the twelve fastest entrants across the sprint events, the British sprinter was given a bye through the heats and therefore had just one race to negotiate before reaching the final. That absence of a preliminary round did little to prevent Hunt from immediately showing her intentions. In a semi-final in which she appeared to have plenty in reserve, the British sprinter recorded the fastest time across the three races in 22.37, finishing ahead of Rhasidat Adeleke, who clocked 22.43 in one of the other semi-finals.
The time was already close to Hunt’s season’s best of 22.30, recorded in London during the Diamond League, despite the British sprinter noticeably easing off in the closing metres. It therefore suggested that there was considerably more to come in the final. Hunt’s personal best stands at 22.08, set in last year’s World Championships semi-final before she went on to claim silver in the final. The British sprinter had already established herself as a major talent at a remarkably young age. In 2019, she ran 22.42, setting a world under-18 record at the time. That mark remained her personal best for several years, with injuries playing a significant role in slowing her progression, before she finally improved it in 2025.
The final featured three British sprinters, with Hunt joined by Dina Asher-Smith and Success Eduan. Asher-Smith had qualified with the third-fastest semi-final time, while Eduan secured her place through the fastest non-automatic qualifying spots after finishing third in her semi-final, with the fifth-fastest qualifying time overall.
Hunt lined up in lane seven, positioned between Asher-Smith in lane eight and Adeleke in lane six. The British sprinter made a strong start and quickly established herself among the leading contenders. Approaching the bend, she was already sitting in second place before gradually closing on Asher-Smith as they entered the home straight. The two British sprinters remained virtually level for much of the final 100 metres. Hunt did not look quite as sharp in the closing stages as she has at her best, but she maintained enough speed to withstand Adeleke’s late charge and, crucially, finish ahead of her British team-mate.
Hunt crossed the line in 22.19, a time which secured her first European title over the distance and, more significantly, established the fastest European performance of the year. Having already won the 100m, the British sprinter had now completed the European sprint double over the two principal individual sprint distances. Behind her, Adeleke produced an excellent finish. A 400m specialist with considerable speed over the shorter distance, the Irish sprinter made up significant ground in the home straight and crossed the line in 22.28, setting a new national record in the process.
Asher-Smith completed the podium in 22.29, just one hundredth of a second behind Adeleke. The result therefore gave the United Kingdom two athletes inside the top three, with Hunt taking gold and Asher-Smith securing bronze. Her championships are not over yet. Hunt is expected to feature for the United Kingdom in both the women’s 4x100m relay and the mixed 4x100m relay, giving her the opportunity to add further gold medals to an already impressive individual haul. She currently has two individual European titles and could potentially leave Birmingham with four gold medals if the United Kingdom’s relay teams also prevail.
The 200m triumph also adds to an encouraging start for the United Kingdom across the athletics programme. Romell Glave has claimed the 100m title and Hudson Smith has taken gold over 400m, while Azu won silver in the 100m, Emily Newnham finished runner-up in the 400m hurdles and the United Kingdom also secured silver in the mixed 4x400m relay.
