British sprinter Amy Hunt has secured her third gold medal of the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham after a victory in the 4x100m relay.
The 24-year-old athlete added the relay title to her earlier victories in the individual 100m and 200m events. The Great Britain quartet, featuring Hunt alongside Dina Asher-Smith, Success Eduan and Imani-Lara Lansiquot, crossed the finish line in 42.05 seconds.
The winning time was the fastest recorded by any European relay team this year. Hunt's hat-trick matches the triple gold medal achievement recorded by her team-mate Asher-Smith at the 2018 championships.
The European Athletics Championships gathers the top track and field competitors from across the continent. This year the event is being hosted in Birmingham, which has provided a prominent stage for British athletes to excel in front of a home crowd.
Historic medals for British sprinters
Asher-Smith, who holds the record as the fastest British woman in history, ran the opening leg of the relay. The victory earned her a tenth European medal, a milestone that brings her level with the Polish sprinter Irena Szewiska.
Speaking after the race, Hunt paid tribute to the diverse talents of her team. The Cambridge University graduate, originally from Newark in Nottinghamshire, described her fellow relay runners as amazing women.
"I want to say, I am standing next to the greatest of all time. Dina is the most decorated European athlete in history," Hunt said. "She has thousands of medals."
"Success is a midwife. Imani-Lara wrote a play. We're all amazing. Stunning to come together. The time of my life."
Asher-Smith explained her tactical approach to the crucial first leg of the race. "My job is to put these ladies in a great position," she said. "I was thinking, run as fast as you can and get that baton home first."
Eduan balances her elite athletics career with training as a student midwife. The sprinter praised the strong support from the spectators in the stadium.
"Honestly, we came here to win. We came here to get gold," Eduan said. "The crowd was amazing."
Lansiquot ran the final leg of the race to bring the baton home. She credited her team for building a strong lead, which gave her the freedom to secure the victory.
"I had the time of my life," Lansiquot said. "What an amazing performance, and they put me in the best possible position, so I could be free and enjoy it. That will be a memory for life."
Hunt will return to the track today to compete once more. She will attempt to extend her gold medal tally to four in the mixed 4x100m relay event.
