'Special moment' as Wolverhampton athletics star has stand named after him

Wolverhampton athletics hero Matt Hudson-Smith has been given added motivation for this summer’s European Championships after a stand was named after him at Alexander Stadium.

An extension of the venue’s north stand will be re-named the Matthew Hudson-Smith Stand for the duration of the championships, which take place from August 10-16.

The Olympic 400 metre silver medallist, who spent his formative years at Alexander Stadium training with Birchfield Harriers, was told the surprise news during a recent trip home.

Family members and his first coach, Sharon Morris, were in attendance.

Hudson-Smith said: “It caught me off-guard walking in to see the stand is going to be named after me, and it was a special moment to share it with my family.

“It’s just an indication of all the hard work I’ve put in and to get a stand named after me is the icing on the cake of a great career and now I want to add more to it at the Europeans.”

Hudson-Smith, who now lives in the USA, will be among the biggest names at what will be the first European Championships ever hosted in the UK.

Already a two-time gold medallist, he is looking to add a third crown in front of the home fans.

He said: “Birmingham for me is home. I miss the people, I miss the food, I miss the environment.

“I always try and represent home to the best of my ability. It just means the world to me to come back here, run and show my talents to kids from the area to show them that they can do it.”

Birmingham 2026 championship director, Cherry Alexander, said: “Matthew is a true homegrown star, and we were delighted to welcome him home by unveiling the Matthew Hudson-Smith Stand for Birmingham 2026 with his family and peers in attendance.

“Matthew’s international achievements are inspiring a future generation to dig deep, and this stand is a celebration of that.

“We hope to fill the stand with young local fans, and maybe even the next Matthew-Hudson Smith will be in the crowd watching him compete in front of a home crowd this August.”