Matthew Hudson-Smith achieved a third European 400m title on his home track on day three of the 2026 European Athletics Championships in Birmingham on Wednesday (12) evening.
Hudson-Smith even has a stand at the Alexander Stadium temporarily renamed in his honour and he stormed to an inspired gun-to-tape victory from the outside lane at home in 44.17, just 0.02 shy of the championship record for the third gold medal for the hosts so far.
By contrast, Emma Zapletalová became just the second Slovakian to win a gold medal in European Athletics Championships history with victory in the women’s 400m hurdles. Zapletalová won a high quality final in 52.91 ahead of the fast-finishing Emily Newnham who won silver on home soil in a lifetime best of 53.33.
A winner of European U20 and U23 titles in years gone by, Finland’s Silja Kosonen landed her first senior gold in the women’s hammer with 76.28m while Switzerland’s Jason Joseph closed the programme with victory in the 110m hurdles in 13.12.
Elsewhere, world champion Leo Neugebauer from Germany leads the decathlon standings after day one and recently crowned European 100m champion Amy Hunt looks on course for a sprint double after qualifying fastest for the 200m final with 22.37.
Day three champions
Women’s 400m hurdles - Emma Zapletalová (SVK)
Women’s hammer - Silja Kosonen (FIN)
Men’s 400m - Matthew Hudson-Smith (GBR)
Men’s 110m hurdles - Jason Joseph (SUI)
Stat of the day
Ireland’s Mark English led four athletes under the 48-year-old championship record in the second semifinal of the 800m. Olaf Beyer’s mark of 1:43.84 had endured since Prague 1978 but English revised that mark with a 1:43.49 clocking ahead of Great Britain’s Ben Pattison (1:43.72), France’s Corentin Le Clezio (1:43.80) and Spain’s Mohamed Attaoui (1:43.82).
Surprise of the day
Reigning European champion Gabriel Tual exited in the semifinals of the 800m. The Frenchman finished sixth in his semifinal in 1:45.88.
Quote of the day
Emily Newnham (GBR) after winning silver in the 400 hurdles. "It's always scary when you know what you're capable of because if I don't live up to that it can hurt even more. Although failure is inevitable, I'm not afraid of it. When I'm not afraid I can run so freely. That was my strength today."
Photo of the day
Finland's Silja Kosonen lets the gold medal moment sink in after winning the women's hammer title.
Championship records set (1)
Men’s 800m - 1:43.49 Mark English (IRL)
Championship bests set (1)
Men’s decathlon shot put - 17.13m Leo Neugebauer (GER)
National records set (4)
Women’s 400m hurdles - 53.55 Fatoumata Binta Diallo (POR)
Men’s 400m - 44.41 Jonas Phijffers (NED)
Men’s 400m hurdles - 47.81 Oskar Eklund (SWE)
Men’s 400m hurdles - 48.03 Matic Ian Gucek (SLO)
What to watch tomorrow?
Having won the 100m title on the first day of the championships, it will take an inspired performance to prevent Amy Hunt from completing the sprint double. The world 200m silver medallist qualified fastest for the final with an accomplished piece of sprinting, stopping the clock at 22.37.
There will also be high hopes for a first ever European title for Great Britain in the women’s 3000m steeplechase with Elise Thorner who holds the 2026 European lead with 9:05.45. She faces an experienced field including reigning champion Alice Finot from France and veteran Gesa Felicitas Krause from Germany, the winner in 2016 and 2018.
For Ireland’s Mark English, these championships are a de facto home championships with more than ten percent of tickets sold to Irish fans. And after five silver and bronze medals from major European finals, can he make the upgrade to gold in Birmingham? The 33-year-old sped to a championship record of 1:43.49 in the semifinals, breaking a mark which had endured since the 1978 European Athletics Championships.
The field for the men’s discus final would not look out of place in a global championships with reigning champion Kristjan Ceh from Slovenia safely progressing to the final along with world record-holder Mykolas Alekna and reigning three-time world champion Daniel Ståhl. If the conditions allow, the championship record of 69.78m set by Alekna in 2022 could be under threat.