The Japan Times - Britain's Amy Hunt wins European women's 100m gold

Hunt clocked 11.00 seconds for victory ahead of Poland's Ewa Swoboda, in 11.02, with Belgium's Delphine Nkansa taking bronze (11.06).

"I had to upgrade this time. I was getting fed up with silver," said Hunt in reference to silver at last month's Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

"This is so special."

Switzerland's Geraldine di Tizio-Frey, who dubs herself as the "world's fastest pharmacologist" and is the fastest European on paper this season, had to be happy with fourth in 11.07sec.

Defending champion Dina Asher-Smith of Britain came in fifth.

The women's blue riband race had shaped up to be one of the most wide-open events, with no athlete establishing complete dominance.

And so it proved, Hunt's current form shining through at the end.

Hunt had broken 11 seconds for the first time this year and followed that up with a good performance at the Commonwealth Games.

Hunt, 24, was part of the British team that won European 4x100m relay gold in Rome in 2024, going on to claim Olympic silver in the relay in Paris later that year and then winning silver in the 200m at the Tokyo world championships a year later.

Still the world record holder for the women's under-18 200m, 22.42sec set in June 2019, the British champion is an English graduate from Cambridge University and only started training full time after graduating in 2023.

Hunt, currently based in Padua north of Venice with Italian coach Marco Airale, broke the 11sec barrier for the first time at the Stockholm Diamond League meet in June.

S.Ogawa--JT