The European Athletics Championships have arrived in Birmingham, marking the first time the event has been held in Britain. With a week of track and field action ahead, the host nation is eager to improve on its third-place finish in the medal table from the 2024 edition in Rome, where Italy topped the standings. The championships commence on Monday with heats across multiple disciplines, building towards a dramatic finale on Sunday, featuring the men's and women's 4x400m relays.
Keely Hodgkinson's Road to Redemption
Olympic 800m champion Keely Hodgkinson is a central figure in British athletics, but her path to Birmingham has been rocky. A fall earlier in the year hampered her progress, and she was visibly upset after a hamstring issue forced her withdrawal from the 400m final at the British Championships. Consequently, she has slipped behind Swiss rival Audrey Werro in the race to break the long-standing 800m world record of 1:53.28, set by Jarmila Kratochvilova in the 1980s. Werro twice dipped under 1:54 in June, a feat no woman had achieved this century, making her a formidable opponent.
The 800m heats are scheduled for Tuesday, with semi-finals on Thursday and the final on Friday. Adding to the intrigue, Femke Broeders-Bol, the 400m icon, has stepped up to the longer distance, promising a fiercely competitive event that could become a highlight of the championships.
Kerr and Ingebrigtsen Opt Out of 1500m
Josh Kerr, who recently broke the world mile record at the London Diamond League and claimed gold at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, will not compete in the 1500m in Birmingham. The heats for that event are set for Friday, with the final on Saturday night. Kerr explained his decision: "I want to race against the best, and the Commonwealth Games means so much to me, but I have to pick and choose, and I had to drop one of them. The Europeans just ended up being that one."
Norwegian star Jakob Ingebrigtsen is also absent from the 1500m, focusing instead on the 5000m. This opens the door for Jake Wightman, who finished second behind Kerr at the Commonwealth Games, and reigning world champion Isaac Nader of Portugal, making the event wide open.
Mondo Duplantis Faces Unprecedented Challenge
Pole vault world record holder Mondo Duplantis has shown signs of vulnerability for the first time in his career. After a defeat at the Diamond League in Stockholm and an injury scare in London, the Swede enters the championships with questions hanging over him. In Rome 2024, he was the only athlete to clear six metres, but his rival Emmanouil Karalis has elevated his performance and could pose a serious threat.
The pole vault final is part of the Sunday evening session, and for once, the outcome is far from certain. Duplantis will need to be at his best to defend his title against a resurgent field.
Hudson-Smith's Homecoming Ambition
Wolverhampton-born Matt Hudson-Smith carries local hopes as he seeks a third European title. Having won in 2018 and 2022, he now competes in Birmingham, where the north stand of the Alexander Stadium has been renamed in his honour. "It caught me off-guard walking in to see the stand is going to be named after me, and it was a special moment to share it with my family," the 31-year-old said. "It's just an indication of all the hard work I've put in and to get a stand named after me is the icing on the cake of a great career and now I want to add more to it at Europeans."
Hudson-Smith's 400m campaign begins with heats on Monday, culminating in the final on Wednesday. His rivals include Samuel Vessat of France and Attila Molnar of Hungary, and he will be determined to avoid the heartbreak of the Paris Olympics, where he was pipped by Quincy Hall.
Amy Hunt's Sprint Double
Amy Hunt has emerged as a sprint sensation since 2024, when her sole medal was in a relay. She set a 200m personal best en route to silver at the World Championships and broke the 11-second barrier over 100m this year. The 24-year-old arrives in Birmingham after a silver at the Commonwealth Games, where she clocked 10.98 seconds—a time that would have won gold in Rome 2024.
Hunt faces stiff competition from Dina Asher-Smith and Daryll Neita in the 100m, with the final on Monday. In the 200m, she is joined by Asher-Smith and Success Eduan, with the final on Thursday. Multiple British medals are a realistic possibility in both events.
