Great Britain wins 4x100m relay double in Birmingham; women set European lead 42.05

2026 European Athletics Championships: Great Britain completes 4x100m relay double on home soil

Great Britain celebrated two relay gold medals on Saturday (15 August) with both men and women delivering victories to the home crowd.

Great Britain celebrated two gold medals in the 4x100 metres relay events on Day Six of the 2026 European Athletics Championships on Saturday (15 August), bringing a fitting end to the penultimate day of competition at the continental championships in Birmingham.

Great Britain’s men reclaimed the title in 38.45 seconds .

The quartet included 200m silver medallist Zharnel Hughes and 100m silver medallist Jeremiah Azu , with 100m champion Romell Glave anchoring the team to victory.

Louie Hinchliffe , who qualified for the 100m final earlier in the championships but withdrew, ran the third leg.

On an individual level, it was the fifth European gold medal of Hughes’ career .

“This morning we set it up. We knew once we were in the finals we would bring it,” Hughes told the BBC after the race.

“The crowd got up on their feet and I could feel the energy. I was like, ‘Louie, keep coming at me, bruv’. I flew around that bend as fast I could,” he said.

“The main aim was to get a gold medal and we accomplished that. Great things ahead. It is amazing, but I had to adjust the baton,” Glave added.

Germany took silver behind the hosts in 38.64 , while Belgium won a brilliant bronze in 38.70 .

Defending champions Italy, who won Olympic gold in the event at Tokyo 2020 (held in 2021), were disqualified .

The women’s event was a dominant affair for the Great Britain team, who secured victory in a new European lead of 42.05 seconds .

Dina Asher-Smith , the individual 200m bronze medallist, who has now won 10 medals at the European Championships and is the most decorated athlete at the championships alongside Poland’s Irena Szewińska , led the team off.

She handed over to 100m and 200m champion Amy Hunt , before Success Eduan and Imani Lansiquot brought the baton home.

“My job is to put these ladies in a great position. I was thinking ‘run as fast as you can’ and get that baton home first,” Asher-Smith said of the race.

Hunt, who has now won three gold medals and is in with a chance to win an unprecedented fourth on Sunday (16 August) in the mixed 4x400m relay, added: “I love the relay, and it is such a pressure and a privilege to do it with these girls.”

Switzerland ran 43.12, more than a second behind Team GB’s winning time, to take silver, with bronze going to Poland, who clocked 43.15 .

Picture by 2026 Getty Images

Athletics | European Championships | Birmingham | United Kingdom