Britain's Hunt and Asher-Smith Break Athletics Medal Records at Euros
Historic Achievements at the European Championships
Amy Hunt's Record-Breaking Performance
BIRMINGHAM, England, Aug 16 (Reuters) - Britain's Amy Hunt and Dina Asher-Smith made history on Sunday as Hunt became the first athlete to claim a haul of four gold medals at the same European Championships and Asher-Smith the most successful competitor in the competition's 92-year existence.
The 24-year-old Hunt helped Britain win the mixed 4x100 metres relay in a European record time of 39.97 seconds before a sell-out crowd after her success in the individual 100m and 200m plus the women's 4x100m earlier this week.
Hunt's Reaction
"Oh my gosh, I am over the moon. I think to finish it off with some of my best friends in the sport is incredible," Hunt, who is also a world silver medallist, told the BBC.
Dina Asher-Smith's Medal Milestone
The 30-year-old Asher-Smith now has eight European golds and 11 medals overall after playing her part in a team also featuring Jeremiah Azu and Zharnel Hughes as Britain dominated the sprint events on the final night of the championships.
Other British Successes
Georgia Hunter Bell's 1500m Triumph
Georgia Hunter Bell took 1500m gold for the hosts, with the 32-year-old having already won world indoor and Commonwealth titles this year after quitting the sport for five years earlier in her career before making a successful comeback.
Medal Table Standings
She picked up Britain's ninth gold medal overall but that was not enough to claim top spot in the medal table, which went to Italy, who won the final gold of the championships in the men's 4x400m relay, finishing 0.03 seconds ahead of the hosts.
Hudson-Smith's Historic Silver
Matthew Hudson-Smith's silver in the event saw the 31-year-old Briton move above French sprinter Christophe Lemaitre as the most decorated man in championship history with nine medals.
Final Medal Count
Italy finished with 22 medals, including 10 gold. Britain were second on 19 and nine respectively ahead of Germany (21 and six), Netherlands (14 and five) and Norway (six and four).
Duplantis Wins Fourth Gold
DUPLANTIS WINS FOURTH GOLD
Sweden's Armand Duplantis soared to his fourth successive European title in the pole vault, clearing 6.15m to better his own championship record.
Duplantis's Dominance Continues
The win reasserted world record holder Duplantis's dominance in the discipline, after a rare defeat at the Stockholm Diamond League in June and his withdrawal from last month's London Diamond League.
"Four of these in a row is a really amazing feat, so I am trying to soak it all in and enjoy it. I am proud of my whole journey - and am proud to be here," the 26-year-old said.
"It was an amazing night - really special. The lead-up has been very difficult and stressful but luckily I was able to make it work."
Pole Vault Podium
Greek Emmanouil Karalis took silver with 6.00m, while France's Baptiste Thiery completed the podium with his 5.85m.
Reporting Credits
(Reporting by Ken Ferris, additional reporting by Aadi Nair; Editing by Nia Williams and Jacqueline Wong)
