Great Britain's Amy Hunt won the women's 200m final at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, securing her second gold medal of the tournament as compatriot Dina Asher-Smith took bronze. Hunt clocked a season's best of 22.19 seconds, overtaking Asher-Smith down the back straight before pulling away to the line, while Ireland's Rhasidat Adeleke set a new national record to snatch silver ahead of the home favourite.
The victory came just days after Hunt claimed her first senior European title in the 100m final on 10 August 2026, as detailed in our earlier coverage of that race. According to World Athletics, that 100m win came in a time of 11.00 seconds, with Poland's Ewa Swoboda finishing second and Delphine Nkansa third.
How did Hunt's 200m final unfold?
Hunt entered the final having posted the fastest time of the semi-final round at 22.37 seconds, according to an Olympics.com preview of the showdown. In the final itself, Asher-Smith set the early pace before Hunt reeled her in over the closing 40 metres, ultimately crossing the line first to secure the gold. Adeleke's national-record run pushed Asher-Smith down to third, meaning the anticipated British sweep of the podium did not materialise.
With the women's and mixed 4x100m relays still to come, the 24-year-old Hunt said she intended to stay focused on the possibility of becoming the first athlete to win four European Athletics Championship gold medals at a single tournament.
"Two out of four baby," Hunt told BBC TV. "This is becoming a magical week and one I will remember for the rest of my life."
Hunt had spoken before the Championships about wanting a fresh start in the 200m after a difficult run of form earlier in the season, describing it as a "renewal of our vows" with the event. She marked the win by raising her arms and pointing to the sky, echoing the celebration Asher-Smith used when she completed the same 100m-200m double at the 2018 European Championships.
What does this mean for Asher-Smith and Adeleke?
Despite missing out on gold, Asher-Smith's bronze extended her European medal haul to nine, a tally surpassed only by former Polish sprinter Irena Szewinska's ten.
"Obviously, I'm disappointed to have a bronze, but I think 10 years after my first one it is such an achievement to be in a place to come back year after year," Asher-Smith said.
Adeleke's silver-medal run, which came in a new Irish national record, denied Britain a clean sweep of the podium. Before the race, British hopes had been high given that Asher-Smith, Hunt and Success Eduan held the three fastest 200m times in Europe this season. Eduan, who beat Hunt to the British title in June, could not replicate that form in the final and finished sixth.
What has Hunt said about her recent form?
Speaking after her 100m victory earlier in the week, Hunt reflected on a run of near-misses at major championships, saying she had accumulated "a string of silvers" and was "starting to get a bit fed up with it" before declaring it was "time for gold," according to a report from a youth news service. Those near-misses included silver in the 200m at the 2025 World Athletics Championships and silver in the 4x100m relay at the 2024 Olympics, according to background compiled on Wikipedia's entry on the sprinter.
How does this fit into Britain's wider performance in Birmingham?
Hunt's second gold continued a strong week for British sprinting in Birmingham, following a one-two finish for Romell Glave and Jeremiah Azu in the men's 100m and a 400m victory for Matthew Hudson-Smith. Britain also opened the Championships with a silver medal in the mixed 4x400m relay, according to earlier reporting on the opening day. The 2026 European Athletics Championships, running from 10 to 16 August, mark the first time the event has been staged in the United Kingdom, according to a schedule report from a national newspaper. Britain's broader push for a stronger showing on the medal table was previewed in our preview of the Championships, which also featured Keely Hodgkinson among the home stars chasing medals across the seven days of competition.
What happens next for Hunt?
Hunt is set to compete in the women's 4x100m relay on Saturday and the mixed 4x100m relay on Sunday, with victories in both events that would complete her bid to win four gold medals at a single Championships, according to a report on her post-race comments. The women's 200m final formed part of the day four evening session in Birmingham.
- Amy Hunt won 200m gold in a season's best 22.19 seconds on 13 August 2026.
- It was her second gold of the Championships after winning the 100m title on 10 August 2026 in 11.00 seconds.
- Ireland's Rhasidat Adeleke set a national record to take silver, with Dina Asher-Smith third.
- Asher-Smith's bronze extended her European medal tally to nine, second only to Irena Szewinska's ten.
- Hunt is next scheduled to race in the women's 4x100m relay on Saturday and the mixed 4x100m relay on Sunday.
