Great Britain’s Amy Hunt charged to 200m glory to secure her second gold medal at the European Championships, while Dina Asher-Smith settled for bronze in Birmingham.
Hunt, who won 100m gold on Monday, reeled in rival and compatriot Asher-Smith down the back straight and finished first with a season’s best time of 22.19 seconds.
With the women’s and mixed 4x100m relay events left to race, the 24-year-old stayed on track “to be iconic” and become the first athlete to win four European Athletics Championship gold medals in the same tournament.
Ireland’s Rhasidat Adeleke set a new national record as she pipped Asher-Smith to the silver medal.
“Two out of four baby,” Hunt told BBC TV.
“This is becoming a magical week and one I will remember for the rest of my life.”
After struggling in the 200m earlier this summer, Hunt said before the Championships that she was ready for a “renewal of our vows” in the event.
And the Briton kept her promise with a composed performance that ended with her steaming through the final 40m to beat her competitors and clinch gold.
She held her arms aloft and pointed to the sky as she emulated Asher-Smith’s 100m-200m European double in 2018.
After getting off to a rapid start, Asher-Smith was unable to hold off Hunt and Adeleke in the final push, but in finishing third she claimed a ninth European medal – a tally only bettered by the 10 of Polish ex-sprinter Irena Szewinska.
“Obviously, I’m disappointed to have a bronze, but I think 10 years after my first one it is such an achievement to be in a place to come back year after year,” Asher-Smith said.
Before the race, there were hopes of a British one-two-three on the podium, with Asher-Smith, Hunt and Success Eduan holding the three fastest times in Europe times this year.
However, Eduan – who beat Hunt to win her first British title in June – finished sixth.
But Hunt’s second sprint gold continues Britain’s dominance in the sprint events in Birmingham after Romell Glave and Jeremiah Azu secured a one-two finish in the men’s 100m, while Matthew Hudson-Smith stormed to 400m victory on Wednesday.
