Hudson-Smith claims historic 400m gold on home turf in Birmingham
Matthew Hudson-Smith secured his third individual 400m title at the European Athletics Championships, joining the ranks of British legends Mo Farah and Roger Black with five individual golds.
Great Britain’s Matthew Hudson-Smith cemented his legacy at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, claiming the 400m gold medal on his home track. The 31-year-old sprinter finished the race in 44.17 seconds, securing his third individual title in the event following previous victories in 2018 and 2022.
The victory marks Hudson-Smith as the joint-most decorated male athlete in the history of the championships. By reaching his eighth podium finish, he equalled the record previously held by French sprinter Christophe Lemaitre. The win places Hudson-Smith alongside British icons Mo Farah and Roger Black, who each hold five individual gold medals at the European level.
Hudson-Smith, who joined local club Birchfield Harriers at the age of 10, two decades prior to this triumph, acknowledged the significance of the moment. After crossing the line to rapturous cheers, he walked to the north stand of the stadium, which now bears his name, and placed a hand on the banner displaying his own.
Prior to this gold, Hudson-Smith had claimed only silver in his individual events at the championships, having debuted with a 400m silver in 2014. Since then, he has won gold in his individual event at every subsequent appearance, in addition to securing two 4x400m relay titles.
The result marked Great Britain’s third gold of the championships. Shortly after Hudson-Smith’s victory, Emily Newnham added to the nation’s tally by winning silver in the women’s 400m hurdles, bringing the hosts’ total medal count to six. Hudson-Smith also matches Dina Asher-Smith as the most decorated British athlete in the history of the European Championships.
