GB's Hunt comes of age with European 100m gold

Amy Hunt had her coming of age moment as she stormed to 100m glory to claim her first senior international title and deliver Britain's first gold medal of the European Athletics Championships.

Hunt announced herself on the sport's global stage last year with world 200m silver in Tokyo - the first individual international medal of her senior career.

Having backed that up with Commonwealth 100m silver two weeks ago, the 24-year-old would not be denied gold this time in Birmingham.

"I have had such a string of silvers and I was starting to get a bit fed up with it, so I thought it was time for gold," Hunt, who won in 11 seconds flat, told BBC Sport.

"My parents gifted me these gold earrings to finally level up, because I wear all-silver jewellery.

"They said it was time for gold - they left me that note two nights ago - so it made me quite emotional.

"It was definitely time for me to come of age here."

It was Britain's second medal on the opening day of action after the hosts took silver in the mixed 4x400m relay.

Yemi Mary John held off Dutch athlete Myrte van der Schoot on the home straight to bring a British quartet also featuring Ben Jefferies, Charlotte Henrich and Toby Harries home in three minutes 10.47 seconds, behind winners Norway (3:09.62).

'I had a premonition I would walk away with gold'

Hunt's breakthrough individual medal last September was a long time coming, but the early years of her senior career were disrupted by injury as she sought to balance the demands of training with studying for an English Literature degree at Cambridge University.

Before those challenging years, Hunt set a women's under-18 200m world record in 2019 - breaking Asher-Smith's British under-20 record in the process - but it would be six years before she managed to improve on that personal best time in her favoured event.

Hunt also ruptured her quad muscle in 2022 but, with those setbacks now behind her, continues to make exciting progress under the guidance of coach Marco Airale in Italy's northern city of Padova.

Now consistently able to produce personal-best performances, the silverware is beginning to follow - and this golden moment signalled a changing of the guard at the top of British sprinting.

Discussing her ambitions before the championships, Hunt quoted High School Musical character Sharpay Evans, who sings a song called "I Want It All" in the film.

Full of confidence after breaking the 11-second barrier for the first time earlier this season, she raised her arms in celebration after producing a trademark strong finish which delivered her from fifth to first over the second half of the race.

"I want it all and I'm someone who doesn't shy away from what she knows she can do," said Hunt.

"I knew I could come away with gold. I had such a big premonition."

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Hunt could have as many as three opportunities to add to her tally this week, as se competes in the 200m and both the women's and mixed 4x100m relay events.

Typically not the quickest off the blocks at almost six-foot tall, Hunt was seventh in the eight-athlete final after the first 10m.

But she held her form superbly to overhaul her rivals and end her wait for gold, just two years after finishing seventh in the previous European final in Rome.

"I just had such a magical feeling," Hunt said.

"I've won English Schools here, raced here as a 13, 14-year-old. I just had a feeling that this was going to be my night.

"My first gold. I think it was definitely time for an upgrade, and I'm now kind of fully established."

British record holder Asher-Smith lined up in Birmingham as the defending champion - but the 30-year-old could not force her way into medal contention.

Asher-Smith, bidding to win a historic seventh gold and become the joint-most successful athlete in the history of the championships, finished fifth in 11.10, as Poland's Ewa Swoboda (11.02) and Belgian Delphine Nkansa (11.06) completed the podium.

Like Hunt, Asher-Smith will have further opportunities to draw level with Croatian discus thrower Sandra Elkasevic and Norway's Jakob Ingebrigtsen, who earlier won a superb 5,000m gold on his comeback from injury.

Both will return to action on Wednesday, when attention turns to the women's 200m medals before the weekend's relays.