BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) — Amy Hunt won a record fourth gold medal in a single edition of the European championships when Britain clinched victory in the mixed 4x100 relay on Sunday.
Hunt had already won two individual titles — the 100 and 200 — and added a third gold Saturday in the women’s 4x100 relay at Alexander Stadium.
The team of Jeremiah Azu, Dina Asher-Smith, Zharnel Hughes and Hunt won Sunday in a time of 39.97 seconds. Germany was second in 40.11 and Spain third in 40.42.
On the anchor leg, Hunt pulled away from Gina Lückenkemper to cross the line for gold.
“Oh my gosh, I'm over the moon,” Hunt told the BBC. “To finish it off with some of my best friends in the sport ... to do it all together is incredible.”
Asher-Smith won her career eighth European championships gold and became the competition's most decorated athlete with her 11th medal, moving one ahead of the late Polish sprinter Irena Szewinska.
This was the debut of the mixed 4x100 relay in the European championships.
“It’s good to get to try something new,” Asher-Smith told the BBC, although she added, “I was absolutely terrified.”
Four in a row for Duplantis
Swedish pole vaulter Armand “Mondo” Duplantis earned his fourth consecutive European championship title by clearing 6.15 meters.
Duplantis is the world record holder — he vaulted 6.31 meters in March. That was his 15th world record. He first broke it in 2020 and has eclipsed his mark by 1 centimeter each time since.
The two-time reigning Olympic champion watched on as Greek rival Emmanouil Karalis (6.00) lost momentum after getting over 6.10 but knocking the bar off on his way down. Karalis took his second straight silver at the championships. France's Baptiste Thiery (5.85) earned bronze.
Italy wins medal table
Bragging rights were on the line in the last event of the week-long championships when Britain and Italy were tied at nine golds each atop the medal table.
The Italians pulled out the victory in the men's 4x400 relay final, and the home team settled for silver. That means Italy topped the table with 10 golds and an overall 22 medals, three more than Britain's total.
Italy also topped the medal table two years ago in Rome.
In the penultimate event of the championships, the Dutch women's 4x400 relay team won gold when star Femke Broeders-Bol held off Britain's Emily Newnham down the stretch. It was the third straight women’s 4x400 relay championships title and Broeders-Bol's sixth career gold at the championships.
In the women's 1,500 final, Britain's Georgia Hunter Bell improved on her silver medal from two years ago by crossing the line first in 4:07.78.
Larissa Iapichino had added to Italy's gold tally by winning the women's long jump, leaping 7.00 meters for the title.
Memorable marathons
Amanal Petros made sure there was no photo finish this time.
The German won the men’s marathon on Sunday morning by a whopping 7 seconds, less than a year after missing out on gold in a photo finish at the world championships in Tokyo.
Petros crossed the finish line in Birmingham in 2 hours, 9 minutes, 11 seconds — breaking the championships record in the process. Italy’s Pietro Riva took silver with his 2:09:18, three seconds better than Israel’s Gashau Ayale.
Last September, the Eritrean-born Petros settled for silver behind Tanzania’s Alphonce Simbu in the closest marathon in world championships history. Both men were officially clocked at 2:09:48, but it was determined that Simbu crossed the line a fraction sooner.
In the women’s marathon Sunday, Finland’s Alisa Vainio dominated the field to finish in 2:22:26, nearly five minutes ahead of silver medalist Lili Anna Vindics-Toth of Hungary. Britain’s Abbie Donnelly took bronze. Vainio broke Christelle Daunay’s championship record from 2014 by almost three minutes.
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