European Athletics Championships - Day One: Amy Hunt in 100m Glory

Amy Hunt crowned herself the fastest woman in Europe as the first-ever European Athletics Championships to be staged on British soil got off to a golden start at Alexander Stadium.

Clocking a time of 11 seconds, Hunt pushed through in the final stages of the women’s 100m to stamp her name on a maiden individual continental medal and title.

“I am so proud of myself, at the end of the day it is all about getting the gold medal,” she said.

“It’s not about the execution and how far back I was at 30m to go, I am not going to remember that in a few years’ time, just that I won a fabulous gold.  

“As I crossed the line I could have screamed, I could have cried.

“Everyone knows I am not that emotional and not that good at showing my emotions, but this win is incredibly special to me, with it being the first [European Championships] in the UK.”

It came on a night that also saw the Novuna GB & NI team clinch a brilliant mixed 4x400m relay silver.

The quartet of Ben Jefferies, Charlotte Henrich, Toby Harries and Yemi Mary John opened Britain’s medal haul in Birmingham with second place in the mixed 4x400m relay.

With Norway taking the top spot in a Championship record time, John held off a charging Netherland’s team in the final lap to take second in a time of 3:10.47.

Scott Lincoln also narrowly missed out on European silverware with a fourth-place finish in the men’s shot put final. A best throw of 20.81m in his second attempt was enough to see him jump into the medal spots before Sweden’s Wictor Petersson overhauled him by 16cm for bronze.

Elsewhere in the finals, James West finished 12th in the men’s 5000m in a time of 13:24.63.

Elise Thorner qualified for Thursday’s women’s 3000m steeplechase final after winning her heat in a time of 9:32.40 and will go in third fastest, while Charlotte Payne is into the women’s hammer final finishing in 10th, courtesy of a best mark of 68.89m in qualifying.

Emma Nwofor missed out on progressing in the women’s 100m hurdles after clocking 13.04s, just three-hundredths of a second off a place in the semi-finals.