Men\u2019s and women\u2019s 4×100 teams complete wins in style<\/p>\n
Hunt will aim for fourth gold in mixed relay on Sunday<\/p>\n
No sooner had Amy Hunt won a staggering third European gold medal in five days than she pointed at the superwomen guiding her closer to history. \u201cWe\u2019re the fantastic four,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
It was hard to argue with that, especially after watching Britain\u2019s 4x100m women power to glory in 42.05secs, more than 10 metres clear of Switzerland and Poland.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s such a privilege to be able to step on the track with these ladies, and the individual superpowers that we bring,\u201d said Hunt. \u201cIt\u2019s no joke. We\u2019re all superwomen together out there.\u201d<\/p>\n
First she addressed Dina Asher-Smith, who ran the first leg and whose gold equalled the Polish sprinter Irena Szewinska\u2019s overall record tally of 10 medals at the championships. \u201cI\u2019m stood next to Dina, she\u2019s the most decorated European athlete in history,\u201d she said. \u201cShe has got thousands of medals.\u201d<\/p>\n
Then Hunt turned to the emerging 21-year-old star Success Eduan, who is three weeks from completing a degree in midwifery. \u201cThis girl, Success, is a midwife,\u201d said Hunt. \u201cShe brings new babies into the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
Finally, Hunt pointed to Imani-Lara Lansiquot, who had brilliantly carried the baton home. In 2021 she had also written a play, Armour of Gaza, about growing up in Peckham. \u201cImani, that girl wrote a play,\u201d said Hunt, clearly deeply impressed.<\/p>\n
The overall message was clear. On Sunday, Hunt will attempt to become the first athlete to win four gold medals at a single edition of a European championships in the mixed 4x100m relay. But she wanted this night to be about her teammates most of all.<\/p>\n
And that included praise for Britain\u2019s new relay coach, Richard Kilty, who told the women a simple message before they stepped out on to the track: \u201cGo out and break their hearts.\u201d<\/p>\n
The British team certainly did that. Everyone played their parts, including the newcomer Eduan, who is now intending to become a full-time sprinter. \u201cI finish in three weeks and I graduate in November, hopefully,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Is it harder to deliver a baby or a baton, she was asked. \u201cA baby! Someone\u2019s life is in my hands,\u201d she said smiling.<\/p>\n
It was a great night overall for Britain\u2019s relay teams given that 15 minutes earlier the men\u2019s quartet of Jeremiah Azu, Louie Hinchliffe, Zharnel Hughes and Romell Glave also took gold, in 38.45secs, ahead of Germany and Belgium.
\n Before the drama of the relays there were a series of extraordinary performances across the night. The best of them? That surely came in the triple jump, where Italy\u2019s Andy D\u00edaz\u2019s stunning leap of 18.15m \u2013 the fourth furthest in history \u2013 brought him gold by 39cm from Portugal\u2019s Pedro Pichardo.<\/p>\n
But not far behind was Sweden\u2019s Andreas Almgren\u2019s destructive display in the men\u2019s 10,000m. After a dawdling first kilometre, Almgren gradually broke the resistance of all his rivals and lapped most of the field, to win by nearly 20 seconds in a championship record 27mins 23.44secs.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf someone is going to beat me, they are going to have to suffer for it,\u201d said Almgren. \u201cI\u2019m in the best 10k shape of my life.\u201d<\/p>\n