Matt Hudson-Smith etched his name in the record books as he became the first man to clinch three European Championship 400m titles at Birmingham’s Alexander Stadium. The 31-year-old delivered an outstanding performance before a supportive home crowd, clocking in at 44.17 seconds to secure the victory. Positioned in lane nine, Hudson-Smith set a blistering pace from the start and held onto his lead, despite a slight slowdown towards the end.
The competition saw France’s Muhammad Abdallah Kounta finish in second place with a time of 44.40 seconds, while the Netherlands’ Jonas Phijffers earned the bronze medal, setting a national record with his time of 44.41 seconds. Hudson-Smith, who has long been associated with the Birmingham area and has trained at the Alexander Stadium from a young age, expressed that winning on familiar turf was particularly poignant.
In addition to Hudson-Smith’s success, Great Britain celebrated another podium finish in the women’s 400m hurdles. Emily Newnham showcased a remarkable final push to capture the silver medal, achieving a personal-best time of 53.33 seconds. The gold medal in this event went to Slovakia’s Emma Zapletalova, who recorded a winning time of 52.91 seconds. Portugal’s Fatoumata Binta Diallo completed the medal standings, taking bronze with a national-record time of 53.55 seconds.