{"id":257684,"date":"2026-08-13T21:22:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-13T21:22:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/08\/13\/quicksilver-amy-hunt-flies-to-glorious-golden-double-with-200m-triumph\/"},"modified":"2026-08-13T21:22:00","modified_gmt":"2026-08-13T21:22:00","slug":"quicksilver-amy-hunt-flies-to-glorious-golden-double-with-200m-triumph","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/08\/13\/quicksilver-amy-hunt-flies-to-glorious-golden-double-with-200m-triumph\/","title":{"rendered":"Quicksilver Amy Hunt flies to glorious golden double with 200m triumph"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Amid the adrenalised delirium of her second European title in three days, Amy Hunt walked to the nearest TV camera, held up her hands and, in homage to Russell Crowe\u2019s character in Gladiator screamed: \u201cAre you not entertained?\u201d<\/p>\n

It quickly transpired that the 24-year-old Cambridge graduate had been quite the warrior off the track too. Because, as she revealed after collecting a 200m gold medal to go alongside Monday\u2019s 100m title<\/a>, she has been nearly fainting this year when running over the longer distance.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI have had a lot of health things going on this year \u2013 some really, really low pressure,\u201d Hunt explained. \u201cThe 200s have been really scary. I have been nearly fainting after a lot of my 200s this year. I had just to go into that one and get on the bend and be really brave.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hunt had entered the 200m final as the overwhelming favourite, but she had to work to chase down the two-time champion, Dina Asher-Smith, one lane outside her, around the bend.<\/p>\n

Having done that, the raucous 20,000 crowd at the Alexander Stadium expected to see a coronation. Instead it turned into a struggle, and Hunt only just had enough in the tank to cross the line in 22.19sec, ahead of Ireland\u2019s fast-finishing Rhasidat Adeleke, who ran a national record of 22.28. Britain\u2019s Asher-Smith took bronze a further 0.01 further back.<\/p>\n

It means that Hunt\u2019s dream of winning an historic quadruple of gold medals at these European Championships is alive \u2013 as she made clear afterwards by holding two fingers up in her right hand, before flipping the hand to show four fingers.<\/p>\n

\u201cTwo out of four,\u201d she said. \u201cHonestly, I think the 100 is the hardest mentally. And the 200 is the hardest physically.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was thinking about my coach,\u201d he said before I went in: \u2018Just imagine me in lane 10 with a stopwatch and a whistle. Just keep those thighs up, girl.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cBut there\u2019s no celebrating, no champagne until Sunday night because I have a debt to the ladies,\u201d Hunt explained, as she set her sights on the 4x100m and mixed relays over the weekend. \u201cWe have to make sure we come here and make sure we show them who is the best sprint nation in Europe.<\/p>\n

After 92 years, Ireland finally has a male European championship gold medallist. And his name is English \u2013 Mark English. The 33-year-old doctor from Donegal, produced a surgical performance to take gold, tracking and then overtaking Croatian Marino Bloudek in the home straight to win in 1:45.26.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust relief,\u201d said English. \u201cI have been trying for a lifetime to get a title. I had planned to go to Sierra Nevada at 6am tomorrow, so I\u2019m going to have to try to rebook that flight. These moments don\u2019t come around often. I have a life that\u2019s never come around for me before, so I\u2019ll have to try to celebrate it somehow.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bloudek clung on to take silver with Spain\u2019s Mohamed Attaoui winning bronze. As the huge Irish contingent celebrated, the heart also went out to Britain\u2019s Max Burgin, who was forced to pull out minutes before the race after suffering an injury in the warmup.<\/p>\n

<\/svg><\/span>Mark English crosses the line to become the first Irishman to win European gold.<\/span> Photograph: Martin Rickett\/PA<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It caps a summer of woe for Burgin, who also picked up a virus at the Commonwealth Games and didn\u2019t make it out of the semi-finals.<\/p>\n

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