Dina Asher-Smith has joined an elite chapter of European athletics history after helping Great Britain to gold in the women’s 4x100 metres relay in Birmingham, taking her European
Championship medal haul to 10.
The British quartet of Amy Hunt, Asher-Smith, Success Eduan and Imani Lansiquot delivered a composed performance in the final, crossing the line in 42.05 seconds to secure another title for the hosts.
The victory gave Asher-Smith her seventh European Championship gold, alongside two silver medals and a bronze. Her 10-medal total draws her level with Polish sprint legend Irena Szewinska, who accumulated the same number between 1966 and 1978.
For Hunt, the evening provided another landmark moment in an already outstanding championships.
“She is the real-life GOAT,” Hunt told BBC Sport, referring to Asher-Smith. “I am stood next to some amazing women.”
Hunt, who had already claimed gold in both the 100m and 200m earlier in the week, completed a sprint treble with the relay triumph.
The 24-year-old now has an opportunity to make further history on Sunday in the mixed 4x100m relay. Victory would make her the first athlete to win four gold medals at a single edition of the European Championships in the competition’s 92-year history.
Britain’s medal haul has now reached 12, including six golds, although Italy remains at the top of the overall standings with 17 medals heading into the final day.
For Asher-Smith, meanwhile, the relay victory was more than another gold. It placed her alongside one of Europe’s greatest-ever sprinters and underlined her enduring influence on British athletics. Photo by Erik van Leeuwen, attribution: Erik van Leeuwen (bron: Wikipedia), Wikimedia commons.
