After missing the last edition in Rome, former 200m European champion Zharnel Hughes will return to the European Athletics Championships to reclaim the title.
Though after slowing down due to cramp during the semifinals at the Commonwealth Games, it is less clear what form he is in heading in to Birmingham, and could leave a gap open for a new 200m champion.
European record - Pietro Mennea (ITA), 19.72
European lead - Zharnel Hughes (GBR), 20.04
Championship record - Ramil Guliyev (TUR), 19.76
Roma 2024 medallists:
- Timothe Mumenthaler (SUI), 20.28
- Filippo Tortu (ITA), 20.41
- William Reais (SUI), 20.47
Five names to watch:
- Zharnel Hughes (GBR)
- Eseosa Fostine Desalu (ITA)
- Owen Ansah (GER)
- Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake (GBR)
- Timotée Mumenthaler (SUI)
This year Hughes ran 20.04 to take the title at the British Championships, held at the Alexander Stadium where the European Athletics Championships will also be.
His form this season marks him as the favourite to take the European title, and if he did he would become just the second man to win the European 200m title twice.
However Italy’s Eseosa Fostine Desalu looks like he could take his first individual major medal, and maybe even gold, after placing fifth in 2024 and sixth in 2018.
This year, the 32-year-old Italian has ran 20.11 and 20.19, but then placed second to 20-year-old Filippo Dezza at the Italian championships with 20.58 at the end of July.
While Owen Ansah looks to take the 200m title for the first time since 1982 for Germany having ran 20.13 to win the German championships on 26 July.
Belgium’s Antoine Snyders could also challenge for a top spot having ran 20.24 on 11 July, while Ireland’s Sean Aigboboh clocked a PB of 20.27 in April and is one of the youngest in the field.
However, just two men in the whole field have ever ran sub 20 over 200m, one being Hughes and the other his countryman Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake who ran his PB of 19.95 back in 2016.
Though Mitchell-Blake is still in good form having ran 20.35 this season for second at the British Championships and could return to the podium having taken silver in this event in 2018 and 2022.
Defending champion, Timothé Mumenthaler, will also look to make it onto the podium having ran 20.31 twice this year, with a steady speed increase also evident through out the season as he aims to peak in Birmingham.
It is a tight field with just 0.13 seconds separating the athletes ranked fifth to tenth, while Hughes’ leading time is somewhat comfortably faster than his competitors and if he can replicate it again in Birmingham, looks likely enough to take gold.