Romell Glave wins European 100m title in Birmingham; second win this year
Romell Glave: From watching Bolt in Beijing to European champion in Birmingham: “I was born in Jamaica but Britain is where I was made”
Romell Glave: From watching Bolt in Beijing to European champion in Birmingham: “I was born in Jamaica but Britain is where I was made”
From watching Usain Bolt at Beijing 2008 to becoming European champion on home soil, Glave reflects on the journey that transformed his life at the 2026 European Athletics Championships.
British champion in June, European champion in August.
“Domination” is how Romell Glave , the 2026 European Athletics Championships men’s 100m champion describes his season after winning for the second time this year at the Alexandra Stadium on Tuesday (11 August) evening .
But for Glave, the journey to European gold on home soil began far from Birmingham, in front of a TV in Jamaica at eight years old.
“Watching Usain Bolt in the Beijing 2008 Olympics ,” Glave answered when asked how his life in athletics began. “The way he changed his life and that journey he took to be one of the best. I knew I could change my life, and athletics has changed it now."
After moving with his family from Jamaica to London as a 15-year-old, a sport-obsessed Glave joined his local track team.
“My first love is athletics," he said. “My family moved to Britain for more opportunities; there were more resources to join an athletics club. I’m living testimony just standing here that I was born in Jamaica but Britain is where I was made .”
BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND - AUGUST 11: Gold medallist, Romell Glave of Team Great Britain, poses for a photo with the national flag after victory in the Men’s 100m Final during day two of the 27th European Athletics Championships at Alexander Stadium on August 11, 2026 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Julian Finney
In 2017, Glave ran 10.21 seconds to become the world’s fastest teenager over 100m that year.
But the COVID-19 pandemic stalled progress, and he suffered a back fracture in 2020.
He returned to international competition in time to take bronze at the European championships at Rome 2024, feeling that gold had slipped through his grasp.
“Watching the race in 2024, I was gutted with myself,” Glave says. “Two years on, I’m a different athlete. My mindset is at the elite level.
“It’s been a rocky road; everyone’s journey is unique. Just thinking five years ago, I didn’t think I’d be here, and with my coach [Michael Afilaka], we have been through everything together, through the darkest times of my life.
“I was delayed, not denied.”
In Birmingham, he was right on time.
“At the start of the season, the goal was to be king of Britain, king of Europe ,” he said, wearing a crown and sunglasses.
“I’d been dreaming of this moment. And I knew I’d won even before I crossed the line, and that line meant I was top of Europe. It’s all I work towards; it’s an amazing feeling.
“Next year I want to challenge for that top spot in the world.”
Getty Images for European Athletics
Athletics | European Championships | Birmingham | United Kingdom