Amy Hunt completes sprint double with 200m gold at European championships

BIRMINGHAM – Britain’s Amy Hunt won the women’s 200m in Birmingham on Aug 13 to seal a European sprint double, quickly vowing to continue her audacious bid for four championship golds.

The 24-year-old, who won the 100m on Aug 10, ran a strong second half of the race for victory in 22.19 seconds.

Ireland’s Rhasidat Adeleke claimed silver in a national record 22.28sec, just 0.01sec ahead of Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith, who won bronze.

The result means Hunt can continue her bid for four championship golds as she also plans to compete in both the women’s and mixed 4x100m relays.

“Two out of four, baby!” said Hunt. “I am only 50 per cent 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.”

Hunt said that while the 100m had been harder mentally, the 200m was 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 races this year,” she said.

“The 100m and 200m double has only ever been done twice before. It was an amazing race. I am so incredibly proud of myself especially to do it here at home in front of this incredible crowd.”

Champagne on ice

Hunt added that there will be “no celebrations and no champagne” until the meet finishes.

“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,” she said.

The bronze for Asher-Smith, who won the European sprint double in Berlin in 2018, was a record-equalling seventh individual continental medal.

It drew the 30-year-old level with Croatian discus thrower Sandra Elkasevic and Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen.

“Obviously, I’m disappointed to have a bronze, but a medal is a medal,” said Asher-Smith.

“It is 10 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.”

She had set the early pace in a race held in front of a raucous 20,000-strong crowd at Alexander Stadium.

But Hunt, a Cambridge University graduate in English, kept her nerve and tracked her veteran teammate down the home straight.

She made the pass with 20 metres to go and erupted in joy as she streaked through the line, quickly brandishing a Union Jack flag and donning a tiara.

Irked by rival’s absence

Meanwhile, Ingebrigtsen said he was disappointed not to see 1,500m rival Josh Kerr at the European championships, adding that athletes who skip major competitions are ruining the sport.

Kerr broke the 27-year-old mile world record in July with a time of 3min 42.66sec at the London Diamond League, and followed that up with a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in front of home fans in Glasgow earlier in August.

However, the Scotsman, 28, decided to skip the European meet to manage his workload.

Asked if he was disappointed that Kerr did not compete in Birmingham, Ingebrigtsen told the BBC: “Very – and I think a lot of people should be, because that is what championships are all about.

“It’s not for us as athletes to choose almost where to participate,” added the double Olympic gold medallist, who retained the 5,000m European title but is not competing at the 1,500m at this meet.

“We have these championships for a reason, and that is for the best athletes to compete – that is the whole point. So I definitely think it is ruining the sport if we are not participating.

“We all have different plans, but I could never see myself in that position.”

The pair have developed a bitter rivalry over the years, with Ingebrigtsen, 25, once referring to Kerr as “just the next guy” and boasting he could outpace him blindfolded, while Kerr has said the Norwegian has major weaknesses.

Kerr’s management did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. AFP, REUTERS