Hudson-Smith says his team are ready to take on the world again after European relay triumph, while Netherlands come from behind to win women’s contest
The British men’s 4x400m relay team insisted they are “back and ready to take on the world” after winning European gold from the front in Munich on Saturday night (August 20).
The side failed to qualify for this year’s World Championships, while British men’s 400m running in general had an Olympic year to forget in 2021, but they are clearly building in strength, if this victory is anything to go by.
In a time that would have finished a close fourth in Eugene and easily won Commonwealth gold in Birmingham [had the team been chosen to compete], the four English runners combined to land Britain’s tenth title in the event, but only their second since 2002.
On paper it looked a formality with the individual 400m champion Matt Hudson-Smith and the bronze medallist Alex Haydock-Wilson included in the line-up, as well as 200m fourth-placer Charlie Dobson, but it proved to be hard-fought in a thrilling race with the result in doubt until the last few metres.
Hudson-Smith eased through the first 200m and then powered away in the second to run 45.05 and give his team a clear lead from Belgium at the first changeover, with Czech Republic third and Netherlands fourth.
Dobson, in his first major senior relay, held back a little and then pushed the second half with a time 44.30 to keep Britain in front on 1:29.35, six metres clear of Belgium on 1:30.08, with France on 1:30.09 (thanks to a great leg from Loic Prevot with 44.21) with Netherlands fourth on 1:30.38.
Lewis Davey had run brilliantly in the heat but on the occasion he was doing the chasing while, in the final, he was being chased and found it a much tougher proposition.
He maintained first place with a lap of 45.53 but the gap was down to a metre as Britain led on 2:14.88 just ahead of France (2:14.96), Belgium (2:15.00) and Spain (2:15.49).
Again, Haydock-Wilson would probably have rather been following but instead he found France, Belgium and Spain were lined up behind him as he hit the straight. However, moving slightly wide, his 44.47 leg gave Britain victory by a metre in 2:59.35 – the first time they have gone under the three-minute barrier since 2017 – with Dylan Borlee closing for Belgium (2:59.49) but timed at 44.69 and followed by bronze medallists France (2:59.64), anchored by Thomas Jordier’s 44.68.
Hudson-Smith, who…
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