UK seals double victory as Romell Glave claims top spot in European 100m championship

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Great Britain completed a sprint double at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham as Romell Glave won the men’s 100m gold medal, a day after Amy Hunt claimed the women’s title.

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Glave led home a British one-two at Alexander Stadium, with Jeremiah Azu taking silver, as Olympic champion Marcell Jacobs pulled up midway through the final.

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PUNCH Online reports that Hunt won the women’s 100m gold for Great Britain in 11.00 seconds on Monday before Glave won the men’s 100m gold in 10.09 seconds, with Jeremiah Azu taking silver on Tuesday evening.

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Speaking to BBC Sport after the race, Glave said the victory reflected the work he had put into improving his start.

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“It is an amazing feeling. Just the work I put in to come here and execute my race. We have been working on my start, and I was able to execute that today.”

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The European champion said moving from bronze at the 2024 championships to gold was particularly significant.

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“Upgrading from a bronze medal from 2024 is an amazing feeling.”

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Glave said Britain had targeted a clean sweep of the medals but was pleased with the one-two finish.

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“That was the aim to get one, two, and three, but we got one – two, which is also amazing. Wasn’t really pressure mentally. I was ready for this occasion. The last week or so has been up and down with my body, but I was able to come out here regardless of how I was feeling.”

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Asked about Great Britain’s performances in the 100m, Glave told BBC Sport: “It is domination. Total domination.”

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Azu, meanwhile, said he was pleased to finish on the podium after an inconsistent season.

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“That was really nice. A tough year up and down.

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“The most irregular [season] in terms of races; they are quite inconsistent. When it comes to championships, I know I find my best. We always say times are irrelevant at this point. You want to go out there and race for medals.”

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The silver medallist said he believed he had delivered his best performance in the final.

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“I want to put in my best performance in the final and I felt like I did that today. You always want to be on the podium. In the 100m there are over 100 competitive guys. So it is always tough.”

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Azu said Britain’s sprinters had spoken about the possibility of sweeping the medals.

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“We were always speaking about it that we were going one, two and three. We got one and two, so we did pretty well. Super important as GB sprinters, we have Europe in a choke hold.”

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Former Olympic and world long jump champion Greg Rutherford, speaking on BBC One, said the British sprinters had taken advantage of Jacobs’ difficulties during the race.

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“We thought we had Marcell Jacobs back to some of his best running. It is not to be today. It has not gone well at all. The British boys have capitalised on that.”

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Former British 400m runner Allison Curbishley, speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, praised Azu’s start.

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“What a silver medal! That was won right down there at the start.

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“That was a phenomenal explosion out of the blocks. And he was able to back it up. He was able to hold his form.”

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Olympic 4x100m relay medallist Asha Philip also praised the British pair for handling the pressure of competing in front of the home crowd.

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“They were fantastic. They kept their composure and they were at a home championship – they utilised that crowd and they said: “yes, we’re going to come for this medal.”

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“And, not only did they get one, they got two.

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“Look how happy they are. I’m amazed. Honestly, I’m so happy for them.”

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Philip also highlighted Glave’s composure during the race.

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“I think those shades were the reason he won. He said: “I’m not looking left or right – I’m going to focus on me.” And he surely did.”

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She added: “You could see how strong he was. He was in so much control.

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“Look at him – he’s so happy. That’s probably the most emotion I’ve seen out of this guy in a long time.”

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The British one-two followed Hunt’s victory in the women’s 100m on the opening day of the championships, giving the hosts gold medals in both individual 100m events.

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The result also helped Great Britain move to the top of the medal table after two days of competition, with two golds and two silvers, World Athletics reported Tuesday.

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