Amy Hunt bolted to victory in the women’s 200m at the 2026 European Athletics Championships in Birmingham on Thursday (13) night, charging to gold in 22.19.
It secured the sprint double for the 24-year-old Brit who won the 100m earlier this week and who has two relay shots ahead this coming weekend.
She emulated Dina Asher-Smith’s double from 2018 with the former champion taking bronze as Ireland’s Rhasidat Adeleke claimed silver in the closing strides.
In summary
- Amy Hunt wins her second gold medal in 22.19, a 2026 European lead
- Rhasidat Adeleke sets an Irish record of 22.28 for silver on her return from injury
- Dina Asher-Smith lands bronze for the ninth European medal of her career
It was all about Hunt though who took all the confidence in the world from the first leg of what she intends to be a potential quartet of golds from this week.
Silver medallist at last summer’s World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, the Italian-based gold medal hope was relentless from the gun, rising out ahead on the bend and chasing down Dina Asher-Smith in her outside line.
The compatriots were side-by-side, fighting for domestic and European supremacy. But it was Hunt who had most left in reserve, pulling ever further away from the champion of 2016 and 2018.
Then it became a chase for second and Rhasidat Adeleke left her best to last. The 400m medallist from Rome in 2024 only qualified a fortnight ago after a summer of setbacks left her in a desperate scrap to earn the qualifying time.
And the 23-year-old from Dublin completed her return from the brink to lower Ireland’s national best to 22.28 with Asher-Smith just one-hundredth of a second behind.
It made Hunt the fourth woman to pull off the European 100/200m double in the past 30 years.
What they said
Amy Hunt (GBR)
"I am only 50% through as I have set out for the full set of four golds. Now I am incredibly excited for the relays because I get to do them and have so much fun with my friends."
Dina Asher-Smith (GBR)
"Any medal is a medal and I'm proud to get my ninth European medal. It is ten years since winning my first gold in the 200m in 2016 and it is an achievement to be here again. It says a lot to keep coming back year after year and performing, irrespective of what's going on in your life. I am competitive so will always want more from myself."