Armand Duplantis dominant, Amy Hunt hits four and Dina Asher-Smith makes history

BIRMINGHAM – Serial pole vault world-record setter Armand “Mondo” Duplantis claimed a fourth successive European title in Birmingham on Aug 16, while home heroine Amy Hunt bagged a record fourth gold of the championships in the 4x100m mixed relay.

Hunt’s relay teammate Dina Asher-Smith made history with a record-breaking eighth European gold. Her continental total of 11 medals established the 30-year-old as the most decorated European athlete of all time.

A sell-out crowd of 23,000 was treated to a heady night of track and field at Alexander Stadium, with a wealth of global stars on show.

They do not come any larger than Duplantis, who has dominated his discipline since winning his first European title in Berlin back in 2018.

The US-born Swede soon found himself in a predictable duel with Greek rival Emmanouil Karalis in Birmingham, but kept his nerve as the bar continued to be raised.

Karalis, in the end, crumbled and could not nail a clearance beyond 6.00m.

The imperious Duplantis bettered his own championship record by 5cm to win with 6.15m. The 26-year-old’s fourth European gold adds to a tally that already includes two Olympic titles, three world outdoor and four world indoor golds – as well as 15 world records.

“Another medal, I can’t complain,” he said. “It’s really amazing. I’m happy coming out with the win and that was enough for tonight.

“This is my fourth one of these in a row now, which is pretty crazy.

“I am getting pretty old and it’s going quick, so I’m just trying not to take it for granted and enjoy it as much as I can.

“Every time I go to the track, I want to leave my mark and do something no one has done before so the championship record feels really good.”

The win was extra special for Duplantis, who was making his return to competition after a scare that saw him withdraw from the London Diamond League meet with a left thigh problem after clearing 5.95m.

He added: “It has been a funky year, by my standards, so to come out here and win, that was the most important.”

Hunt on roller coaster

On the track, it was four golds from four events for the impressive Hunt, who went into the final having already won golds in the 100m, 200m and women’s 4x100m relay.

She anchored a dominant foursome starring Jeremiah Azu, Asher-Smith and Zharnel Hughes as they won in a European record of 39.97 seconds, ahead of Germany and Spain.

Hunt said: “When you’re queueing for a roller coaster, and you’re seeing the drops, but when you get off, you want to do it all again. I loved it.”

There was a third major gold medal of the season for fellow Briton Georgia Hunter Bell, whose victory in the 1,500m followed successes at the world indoors in Torun in March and Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in July.

Hunter Bell said she felt like a “caged animal”, champing at the bit to get going in Birmingham, having won 13 of the 15 races in which she has competed this season going into the final.

The 32-year-old went one better than her compatriot and training partner Keely Hodgkinson, who was beaten into 800m silver by Switzerland’s Audrey Werro, by dominating the 1,500m for an impressive gold in 4min 7.78sec.

“I did feel really calm and really confident. I have been on a win streak and I have had lots of failures before when I have been the favourite,” Hunter Bell said.

“It was nice to come down the home stretch and know I had it. It is just special. Another gold. I am hoping to make it four in September” at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest.

Italy’s Larissa Iapichino won a thrilling women’s long jump with just 6cm separating the top five jumpers.

The 24-year-old managed a winning best of 7.00m on her first effort, with Britain’s Jazmin Sawyers taking silver 1cm adrift, and France’s Hilary Kpatcha yet another centimetre back in bronze.

Germany’s reigning champion Malaika Mihambo could only finish fifth.

Gold for Broeders-Bol

There was more luck for Mihambo’s teammate Frederik Ruppert, who made history this season by becoming the first European in history to break the eight-minute barrier and won the men’s 3,000m steeplechase in 8:25.33.

Croatia’s Sara Kolak won gold in the women’s javelin with a winning throw of 62.43m, remarkably, her first major title since a shock victory at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

The 13th and final session of a gripping week of athletics finished with the 4x400m relays.

Femke Broeders-Bol, 26, the two-time former 400m hurdles champion who won 800m bronze here, delivered a typically astute anchor lap to secure gold for the Netherlands in 3:21.10 over Britain and Italy.

Lorenzo Benati held off Britain’s Charles Dobson on the anchor leg to ensure Italian gold in the men’s 4x400m relay.

That result saw Italy finish the championships atop the medal table with a haul of 22 (10 golds, six silvers, six bronzes), ahead of Britain (19: nine, eight, two). AFP