Great Britain celebrated a historic 100m one-two finish at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, as Romell Glave secured gold ahead of teammate Jeremiah Azu. Glave, 26, clocked a dominant 10.09 seconds to claim his first major international title, building on the bronze medal he earned at the Rome championships two years ago. This victory marks the sixth time a British man has won the European 100m title, following previous successes by Zharnel Hughes in 2018 and James Dasaolu in 2014. Azu, the 2025 world and European indoor 60m champion, crossed the line in 10.16 seconds to take silver, improving upon his bronze medal from 2022. The podium was completed by Germany’s Owen Ansah, following a dramatic race in which Italy’s two-time defending champion, Lamont Marcell Jacobs, pulled up with an injury at the halfway mark.
This performance comes just 24 hours after Amy Hunt’s triumph in the women’s 100m event, a victory that saw the young sprinter come of age on the continental stage. The momentum within the British camp is palpable, with the team behind Keely Hodgkinson’s recent golden rise also closely monitoring the squad’s progress as they continue their hunt for world records and sustained international excellence. The atmosphere at Alexander Stadium has been electric, reflecting the high stakes of the competition despite some external criticism regarding ticket pricing and empty seats during certain sessions.
Reflecting on his achievement, Glave said Sport, “Upgrading from a bronze medal from 2024 is an amazing feeling. The aim was to get one, two, and three, but we got one-two, which is also amazing. I was ready for this occasion. The last week or so has been up and down with my body, but I was able to come out here regardless of how I was feeling.” On the broader success of the British sprinting contingent, he added, “It is domination. Total domination.”
Glave has shown significant growth this season, successfully breaking the 10-second barrier in legal conditions for the first time while securing his first British title in June. Having run sub-10 times on six separate occasions this year, he has demonstrated remarkable consistency, including a notable victory over the in-form Jacobs on Italian soil. A talented junior who was the world’s fastest 17-year-old in 2017 with a 10.21 clocking, Glave has overcome significant injury setbacks, including a back fracture, to reach this pinnacle.
The technical foundation for Glave’s recent surge has been a rigorous focus on his start, specifically sharpening his acceleration over the first 40 metres. This tactical adjustment proved decisive in Birmingham, as he hit the front by the 30-metre mark and maintained his lead to the finish, celebrating with a finger pointed to the sky. While three British men had qualified for the final, Louie Hinchliffe did not contest the medal race, leaving his teammates to carry the flag in the final.
For Jeremiah Azu, the silver medal represents a vital return to form following a challenging and inconsistent season. “The most irregular season in terms of races, quite inconsistent,” Azu noted. “When it comes to championships, I know I find my best. We always say times are irrelevant at this point. You want to go out there and race for medals. I want to put in my best performance in the final and I felt like I did that today. You always want to be on the podium. In the 100m there are over 100 guys that are competitive, so it is always tough.”
In other track action, Matthew Hudson-Smith, who has a stadium stand named in his honor, qualified for Wednesday’s men’s 400m final despite a second-place finish in his heat. “I misjudged it a little bit. I thought I was clear,” Hudson-Smith explained. “I was looking at the screen and I saw the guy try and surge. But he ran a PB, so he’s messed up with the final ahead.” His focus now shifts to the medal race, where he remains a primary contender for the host nation.
The women’s 5,000m saw Hannah Nuttall finish in fifth place, while Italy’s Nadia Battocletti successfully retained her title. Meanwhile, the women’s 100m hurdles provided one of the most thrilling finishes of the championships, as Nadine Visser of the Netherlands clinched gold by a mere one-thousandth of a second. A tense photo finish was required to separate Visser from Poland’s Pia Skrzyszowska, highlighting the razor-thin margins that have defined this year’s competition.
As the European Athletics Championships continue, the focus remains on the schedule and the extensive coverage tracking these performances. The success of the British sprinters has set a high bar for the remainder of the event, with fans and analysts alike looking forward to the upcoming finals. The combination of tactical discipline, resilience against injury, and the ability to perform under the pressure of a home crowd has defined the British team’s presence in Birmingham thus far.
Raising a finger to the sky in celebration, he became the sixth British man to win the European 100m title – and third in the past six editions after Zharnel Hughes (2018) and James Dasaolu (2014).
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‘Oh my word!’ – Netherlands’ Visser wins 100m hurdle gold by 0.001 seconds
