On a balmy night in Birmingham, Matt Hudson-Smith powered past the stand bearing his name at the Alexander Stadium and into history by becoming the first man to win three European Championship 400m titles. The 31-year-old athlete delivered a dominant performance, surging to victory in 44.17 seconds to delight the home crowd.
Afterwards, as the adrenaline flooded his body and he posed wearing a crown in front of the Matthew Hudson-Smith Stand, the 31-year-old made it clear just how much the achievement meant to him. “Nobody is going to beat me on this track,” he said. “This is my home. I have been here since I was nine. I know this track like the back of my hand.”
The victory was far from straightforward, as Hudson-Smith was assigned lane nine, leaving him effectively blind to the challengers positioned inside him. This tactical disadvantage forced him to run his own race from the gun, and he responded by sprinting with the intensity of a man chasing the last bus of the night.
While he began to tie up slightly in the final 70 metres, he maintained sufficient composure to cross the line first. Reflecting on the race, he noted, “I knew it would take one hell of an effort to get past me. Every time someone beats me, I kind of end their career. I knew that for them to beat me, they would have to have a supernatural moment.”
Muhammad Abdallah Kounta of France secured the silver medal in 44.40 seconds, while Jonas Phijffers of the Netherlands took bronze in 44.41 seconds, setting a new national record. Hudson-Smith used the post-race press conference to address media speculation regarding his fitness, dismissing reports that he had been carrying an injury throughout the championships.
“You guys need to come with the facts, man,” he stated. “The whole point of rounds is to survive and advance. I tried to conserve in the rounds. Me and my coach were laughing all the way around. I knew I was the best in the world. My coach said: ‘Once you seal the deal, make sure you do it. This is your home. Defend it.'”
The event highlighted ongoing discussions regarding ticket sales at the Alexander Stadium. While higher-priced Category A seats were largely sold out, cheaper tickets struggled to move, leading to visible gaps in the stands. Organisers attributed the slower uptake of lower-tier tickets to the stadium’s out-of-town location, parking challenges, and the broader cost-of-living crisis.
European Athletics reported that 80% of the 200,000 available tickets have been sold, with strong demand expected for the final days of competition. “Naturally, we would love to see a full stadium for every session, because nothing compares with the energy of a packed Alexander Stadium,” the governing body stated. “We are very pleased that demand for tickets to the second half of the championships is strong.”
The evening also featured success for Emily Newnham, who claimed silver in the women’s 400m hurdles. After trailing in fourth place over the final hurdle, she produced a late charge to finish in a personal best of 53.33 seconds. The race was won by Slovakia’s Emma Zapletalova in 52.91 seconds, with Portugal’s Fatoumata Binta Diallo taking bronze in a national record time of 53.55 seconds.
Following her podium finish, an emotional Newnham dedicated the performance to her mother, who has been navigating health challenges. “Mum, I love you so much,” she said. “You’re my inspiration this year. Keep fighting – you’ve got this.” The report also notes that however, it is not as simple as that given that most of the £110 Category A seats in the main stand were sold out. The report also notes that some of which have been priced as low as £40 and £20, that have struggled to sell out, it has been the cheaper tickets. The report also notes that european Athletics says 80% of tickets – about 200,000 in total – have now been sold and it is expecting big crowds for the last few days. The report also notes that although there was a slight edge to his celebrations, as he took a dig at the BBC afterwards for suggesting he might be carrying an injury, but no one was more ecstatic than Hudson-Smith. The report also notes that on paper, I was a second faster than these guys. The report also notes that the only disappointment was that the stand named after him was not packed to the rafters to celebrate his triumph. The report also notes that there has been a lot of talk about prices being too high. The report also notes that who can blame people for waiting for the end of the week when there are more finals.
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