Home favourite powers to his third European 400m title thanks to thrilling run from outside lane, while Emily Newnham strides to 400m hurdles silver.

On an evening when the Alexander Stadium crowd witnessed the solar eclipse, the stars aligned for Matthew Hudson-Smith as he flew to his third European 400m title on his home track in Birmingham. 

The Birchfield Harrier, whose name adorns one of the temporary stands erected for these championships and grew up racing on this track, did not have an easy task, with his second place in the semi-finals having seen him drawn out in lane nine. 

Yet the European record-holder threw everything he had at the race, attacking hard right from the off and hitting the line in 44.17 to hold off the closing charge of Frenchman Muhammad Abdallah Kounta (44.40), while there was a national record of 44.41 for Dutchman Jonas Phijffers in third.

Hudson-Smith had hoped to experience that winning feeling in front of the Alexander Stadium crowd when the Commonwealth Games were staged here in 2022, only to be upstaged on that occasion by Zambia’s Muzala Samukonga.

But the man from Wolverhampton refused to be denied this time, hitting halfway in 20.86 at 200m and 31.80 at 300m to give himself a healthy gap and room for manoeuvre in the closing straight. Even as the lactic kicked in and the opposition began to gain ground, he willed himself to the line and flexed his muscles as the reality of his victory sank in.

Hudson-Smith, also an Olympic and world silver medallist, now has eight European medals to his name.

There was another stirring medal-winning British performance from lane nine a few moments later when Emily Newnham picked the perfect time to produce the fastest run of her life, moving to second on the national all-time lists with a run of 53.33 that secured her the silver medal in the final of the women's 400m hurdles final. 

Emma Zapletalová lived up to her billing as firm favourite, the Slovak Republic athlete continuing her brilliant season by taking gold in 52.91, while Fatoumata Binta Diallo broke the Portuguese record with 53.55 to take bronze. 

Following Femke Bol’s move to the 800m, Zapletalová has stepped into the gap left by the world champion and has been fastest in the world so far this year following her personal best of 52.30. There have been four Diamond League wins to enjoy, too, but now also a senior European title after she moved into the lead from hurdle eight and strode to victory. 

Newnham sat sixth with two hurdles remaining but her finishing speed is proving to be a potent weapon and it allowed her to make up significant ground. This is her second honour of the summer, having also recently captured Commonwealth silver in Glasgow, and now the former Olympic, world, European and Commonwealth champion Sally Gunnell – with 52.74 – is the only British woman to have run faster than her. 

Meanwhile, Amy Hunt’s quest for four gold medals at these championships continued as the 100m champion qualified fastest for the women’s 200m final with her run of 22.37 (-0.1) to win the second heat. 

She will be joined in Thursday evening’s final by two fellow Britons – former world champion Dina Asher-Smith winning heat one in 22.49, while national champion Success Eduan was the fastest of the non-automatic qualifiers with her run of 22.56 to finish third in heat three. That race was won by Ireland’s Rhasidat Adeleke, whose return from injury conitinued with her time of 22.43.

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