Amy Hunt wins 100m at Birmingham; aims for four golds in a week

2026 European Athletics Championships: Amy Hunt, 100m European champion: “It’s a coming of age for me”

With ambitions for three more titles this week, beginning again on Wednesday (12 August), the 24-year-old credited Wordle, Megan Thee Stallion, and a fated sense of home for clinching gold after a string of international silvers.

Great Britain’s new sprinting golden girl has arrived.

After Amy Hunt won silver at last year’s world championships and at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games just two weeks ago, the 24-year-old Cambridge graduate secured her first major individual title at Birmingham’s 2026 European Athletics Championship on Monday (10 August) to become 100m women’s champion.

“I think it was definitely time to upgrade,” she smiled to media after the race. “It’s just euphoria.”

Born around 60 miles (98 kilometres) from Birmingham’s Alexandra Stadium, at the track she trained on with her first club, Hunt’s homecoming week that began with glory on Monday could be defining.

" I just had such a magical feeling that this was going to be my night. I’m a Midlands girl; I’ve won English Schools here, I’ve raced here as 13 and 14-year-old, this is really my track. It was definitely a coming of age for me ."

The turnaround for Hunt will be quick, returning on Wednesday (12 August) for the semi-final of her favoured event, the 200m. The women’s and the mixed 4x100 relays are also on her schedule.

Her aim is a historic four gold European medals within a week.

“I want to be the best,” she said. “I don’t shy away from that. I train incredibly hard, and I back myself so incredibly hard because I do want to be the best. I’m not saying that I’m the best right now, but that’s something I aspire to be.”

Amy Hunt reacts after winning gold in the women’s 100m final at the European Athletics Championships

After name-dropping ‘High School Musical’s’ ‘I Want It All’ song at the pre-competition press conference , the balance of serious and fun for Hunt is evident.

In the hours before becoming European champion, with nerves beginning to take its toll, she kept her mind off the track by playing online word games.

“It wakes my brain up without having to overthink,” she says. “Even at training, we’re all competitive every single day about Wordle and how many words we got on Spelling Bee.

“We listen to Megan Thee Stallion, house music, a bit of Mamma Mia in there, so just not getting too overly serious.”

But in the same breath as pop culture references, she speaks about the monumental ambitions she has for her career, making it a mission statement to be the fastest in the world.

In fitness tests before Birmingham, she says she was in better shape than when earned her silver at the world championships in Tokyo last year.

After winning the 100m at the UK championships earlier this year, in Great Britain’s to-and-fro of sprinting excellence between Hunt and Dina Asher-Smith , it is the former that has risen to the top this season.

Few would bet against her adding to her medal collection this week.

Athletics | European Championships | Birmingham | United Kingdom