Matthew Hudson-Smith competes in the men’s 400m at Alexandra Stadium, Birmingham; favourite to win 400m title at Birmingham

Matthew Hudson-Smith on hometown European Athletics Championships: “This is my London 2012”

Ahead of the first round of the men’s 400m on Monday (10 August), Birmingham’s Matthew Hudson-Smith explains how his second major competition at the Alexandra Stadium will be even better than the first.

As the 2026 European Championships arrive in Britain for the first time, Matthew Hudson-Smith’s status as one of the Midlands’ greatest athletics stars is in no doubt.

For the man whose image is emblazoned on the Birmingham 2026 posters and honoured in the name of Alexandra Stadium’s North Stand, the track where it all started for him is “the place of dreams.”

“I’ve been at this track since I was 10, I’ve seen everything,” Hudson-Smith said in a press conference on the eve of the championships.

“I was walking around getting flashbacks of the tracks and growing up here; it’s nostalgic for me.

“Not many people can say they’ve done a race at their home track of 20 years. This is my London 2012, in a sense .”

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Speaking in a room above the stands that overlooks the track, Hudson-Smith remembers when the Alexandra Stadium lanes used to be red rather than their current blue. He also remembers a hill he used to hang around on where a stand has since been installed, back when the stadium wasn’t as “shiny.”

He even remembers exactly where he was during the lead-up to London 2012, watching Team USA athletes train, four years before his own Olympic debut in Rio 2016.

“Me and my friends snuck in,” he laughed, “We weren’t supposed to be here, but we got in and watched. We knew the routes.”

His return to the stadium in 2026 sees the Wolverhampton-born 31-year-old in a relaxed mood. The last time he raced in front of this crowd was during a whirlwind period for the athlete.

In 2022, he won European gold in the 400m and 4x400m relay in Munich to take his tally to seven European medals and four titles. He became the most decorated British male athlete in European Championship history, and the second-most decorated from the continent .

After the European Championships, he returned to the Alexandra Stadium for the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games .

“It was off the back of an intense 2021 , and then straight after my first world medal,” Hudson-Smith explains, his Birmingham accent still strong, despite having lived in Florida for nearly a decade.

“You can imagine how hyped I was. I had all my friends and family here, it was packed; I locked eyes with my family on the start line. Every time I went on the track I was tearing up.”

In the 400m final, he started the race fast before fading, eventually conceding gold to Zambia’s Muzala Samukonga .

“I went out in that race like a bat out of hell. I got the hairdryer treatment from my coach because we had trained for specific times, and I just went in the first 200m.

“But I’m a little bit older now, and you learn from your mistakes. I know what to expect now. The emotions are more controlled .

“The noise is still going to be crazy, but I’ve seen it all and done it all. I’ve got grey hairs on me now! I know what to do. I’m just here to win .”

The four years since the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games have seen Hudson-Smith become a double Olympic medallist at Paris 2024 .

Now 31, he is Europe’s fastest man over 400m this season. He also won his sixth national title earlier this year .

While he pulled out of the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games to focus on his Birmingham return, he is the favourite going into the men’s 400m competition, with the first round taking place on 10 August, before the semi-finals on Tuesday and final on Wednesday.

Several other Team GB stars began their athletics journies at the Alexandra Stadium, including Amy Hunt – a fellow former Birchfield Harriers athlete like Hudson-Smith – and newly-crowned Commonwealth champion Jazmin Sawyers .

“Birchfield as a whole has a rich history of athletes,” Hudson-Smith said. “From Denise Lewis , Mark Lewis-Francis, Katharine Merry , and now myself.

“Especially now as I’m getting to the end of my career, I feel it’s my responsibility to inspire the next generation, so I always try and represent the area the best I can.

“When I come back, I get that sense of that influence and uptake. I’ve been here since I was 10, and it’s the kind of place you stay for life. It’s like a family. It’s a strong community."

Athletics | European Championships | Birmingham | United Kingdom