Romell Glave and Jeremiah Azu delivered a home one-two in the men's 100m at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, with Glave clocking 10.09 seconds for gold and Azu following in 10.16 for silver. The result came as Italy's two-time defending champion Lamont Marcell Jacobs, the pre-race favourite, pulled up injured at the halfway stage of the final.
Glave's victory marked his first international title, an upgrade from the bronze he won at the same event in Rome two years earlier. Azu, who was world and European 60m indoor champion in 2025, also improved on a previous bronze from 2022, finishing ahead of the field to the roar of the crowd at Alexander Stadium.
How did the injury to Jacobs affect the race?
Jacobs, who became a surprise Olympic champion five years ago and had defended his European title twice, dropped out of contention roughly halfway through the final after sustaining an injury. His exit opened the way for Germany's Owen Ansah to take the bronze medal, completing a podium that saw the two British athletes take the top two spots.
What is the background to Glave and Azu's rise?
Glave had already shown his credentials domestically earlier in the summer, winning the British 100m title at the UK Athletics Championships in Birmingham with a time of 9.98 seconds — his first sub-10-second run. That result, detailed in our earlier coverage of the UK Championships, came alongside Amy Hunt's title defence in the women's 100m.
Ahead of the European Championships, British Athletics had named both Glave and Azu in its squad for the Birmingham event. According to Olympics.com, Glave had already broken 10 seconds five times during the 2026 season, though four of those performances were wind-assisted. Glave had also medalled in the event before, taking bronze in Rome in 2024 with a time of 10.06 seconds behind Jacobs and Chituru Ali of Italy.
Amy Hunt also enjoyed home success in Birmingham, winning her first senior international title in the women's 100m with a late surge from fifth to first, as detailed in our report on her victory on 10 August 2026.
What happens next at the championships?
The men's 100m competition in Birmingham had followed a schedule of heats at 11:15, semi-finals at 20:32 and the final at 21:47 local time on Tuesday 11 August 2026, according to Olympics.com. The wider European Athletics Championships continue in Birmingham through 16 August 2026, with further events across the programme still to come.
Key Facts
- Romell Glave won gold in the men's 100m final in Birmingham with a time of 10.09 seconds.
- Jeremiah Azu took silver in 10.16 seconds, improving on his 2022 bronze.
- Defending champion Lamont Marcell Jacobs of Italy pulled up injured at halfway in the final.
- Germany's Owen Ansah claimed bronze after Jacobs' exit.
- Glave had won the British 100m title in 9.98 seconds earlier in the summer at the UK Championships.
