Amy Hunt wins 200 final for her second sprint gold at European Championships

BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) — Amy Hunt pulled away from British teammate Dina Asher-Smith down the home straight to win the 200-meter final Thursday for her second gold medal this week at the European Championships.

Hunt, who won the 100-meter title on Monday, drew even with Asher-Smith around the turn and eventually edged ahead to finish in 22.19 seconds at Alexander Stadium.

Ireland’s Rhasidat Adeleke made a late surge to take silver, with Asher-Smith settling for bronze.

“I’m so incredibly proud of myself especially to do it here at home in front of this incredible crowd,” Hunt said.

The 24-year-old Hunt is shooting for four gold medals in Birmingham. She’s set to compete in two relays.

“I am only 50% through as I have set out for the full set of four golds. Now I am incredibly excited for the relays because I get to do them and have so much fun with my friends,” said Hunt, the surprise silver medalist in the 200 at the world championships last September in Tokyo.

Asher-Smith completed the same sprint double in 2018 in Berlin.

Historic win for Ireland

Mark English won the men’s 800-meter final to become the first Irish man to win a European championships gold medal.

The 33-year-old English — a doctor — rounded the final turn and passed Croatia’s Marino Bloudek to cross the line in 1 minute, 45.26 seconds as a big contingent of Irish fans in Birmingham celebrated.

“It felt like half of Ireland was in the stadium tonight with the Irish singing,” English said. “I did not realize how many Irish were here until I saw all the flags when I got off the bus.”

English previously won bronze in the 2014 and 2022 editions.

“I really wanted that gold so badly. I had set everything out for this champs today. I did not want to finish my career without it,” English said.

Bloudek took silver and Spain’s Mohamed Attaoui was third.

Women’s 800 final set after Werro’s tumble

Swiss star Audrey Werro was given a spot in the 800-meter final after falling in her semifinal at the European championships.

The ruling keeps Werro on course for Friday night’s gold medal showdown with reigning Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson and Dutch star Femke Broeders-Bol.

Werro was leading her heat at Alexander Stadium when she fell. Footage showed Anais Bourgoin’s left hand making contact with Werro’s right foot before Werro tumbled on the last bend.

In late June, Werro ran the third fastest women’s time ever: 1 minute, 53.80 seconds.

After Thursday’s fall, she got up and jogged across the line in 2:35.35. She appealed her placing and was successfully advanced to the final.

She said, “Everything was good and suddenly I was on the ground. I just have some scratches and my bib number was ripped off but I’m OK. The body is fine.”

Hodgkinson, the Briton who has frequently talked about wanting to break the 800 world record, won the other semifinal heat in 1:57.38, just ahead of Broeders-Bol, who has impressed in her first year in the 800 after switching from the 400 hurdles.

The women’s 800 world record of 1:53:28 was set in 1983 by Jarmila Kratochvilova.

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