Matt Hudson-Smith is confident that a breakthrough performance is imminent after another consistently strong display at the London Diamond League left him optimistic ahead of next month's European Athletics Championships in Birmingham. The 31-year-old from Wolverhampton finished second in the 400m with a time of 44.18 seconds, behind Olympic 400m hurdles champion Rai Benjamin, who ran a personal best to win.
Consistent Times Signal Readiness
This result continues a trend for the Olympic silver medallist, who has posted times between 44.09 and 44.25 in his four Diamond League appearances this season. With his main target being the European Championships in Birmingham, Hudson-Smith believes this consistency will translate into a lightning-fast run in front of a home crowd.
“I’m just grateful for how consistent I am. Every time I step on the track, I’m running 44-low. I left it a little bit too late, I came off the bend and had to claw it back, but I think it’s all about putting the pieces together,” Hudson-Smith said.
Belief in a Big Drop
“We know there’s a big time in there. We’re just excited at the fact that every time I step on the track I’m running 44-low. Before, over the last couple of years, I’d be running 44-high, 44-mid, then 43, then back to 44-high again. The consistency shows there’s a big drop in there; we just need to put it all together.”
He added: “We knew the shape was there. We knew I was capable of running 44-low and getting into the 43s, but it’s one thing knowing you’re in good shape and another thing actually going out there and doing it.”
Pushing Rivals to New Heights
Benjamin’s personal best was the latest example of Hudson-Smith pushing a rival to new levels, most notably in Paris two summers ago when American Quincy Hall ran 43.40 seconds to become the fourth fastest man in history, denying Hudson-Smith gold by four hundredths of a second. While there is frustration at missing out to competitors needing lifetime bests to beat him, Hudson-Smith sees it as a reflection of his own performance.
“Every time I seem to push everyone to good times. It’s being at a high standard, that’s pushing everybody. For me personally, I’m happy with the consistency. If I keep pushing in training and put everything together, then that’s it,” he said.
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