Amy Hunt makes it a golden double at Birmingham 2026 with brilliant 200m win

Great Britain’s Amy Hunt is halfway toward completing an audacious golden sprint quadruple after becoming European 200 metre champion at Birmingham 2026.

The 24-year-old, who won 100m gold earlier in the week, made it a double with a thrilling victory at Alexander Stadium on Thursday night.

Hunt overhauled GB rival Dina Asher-Smith down the home straight to clinch her second title of the week.

Asher-Smith, who was aiming for the seventh European gold of her career, had to settle for bronze after being edged out for silver by Ireland’s Rhasidat Adeleke in a photo finish.

Newark’s Hunt has already had a fantastic week and established herself as a new star of British athletics, regardless of what happens next.

But she is hungry to add more gold to her collection and will target two more medals in this weekend’s relays.

She told the BBC: "No celebrations and no champagne until Sunday night.

“I have got a debt to the ladies. We have got to come out here and make sure we show them who the best sprinting nation is in Europe."

Hunt continued: “Two out of four baby. The 100m is harder mentally and 200m is the hardest physically.

“I have had a lot of health things going on this year. It meant the 200 has been scary, nearly fainting after a lot of my 200m this year. It was an amazing race.

“This is becoming a magical week and one I will remember for the rest of my life.”

Asher-Smith conceded some disappointment at her bronze but said: “I think 10 years after my first one it is such an achievement to be in a place to come back year after year.

"It doesn't matter what's going on in my life, just come and continue to be one of the fastest women in the world. Happy to have done that today.”

Hunt’s gold was a spectacular finish to a night which otherwise, from a British perspective, was a disappointment as medal chances in the men’s 800m and women’s 3,000m steeplechase went begging.

Elise Thorner could only manage fifth in the latter after tiring over the closing lap, with Germany’s Gesa Felicitas Krause winning gold.

The home nation then suffered a blow when Max Burgin was forced to pull out of the 800m just minutes before the race, after suffering an injury during the warm-up.

His team-mate Ben Pattison could only manage sixth in a race which saw Mark English become the first Irishman to win gold at a European Championships.

Earlier, British sprinter Zharnell Hughes cruised into Friday night’s 200m final.

The 31-year-old, a former European champion at both 100m and 200m, clocked 20.05 to win his semi-final ahead of the man expected to be his closest challenger, Timothe Mumenthaler.

Hughes and the Switzerland star exchanged glances as they crossed the line, suggesting the final is not one to be missed.