Britain is hosting the European Athletics Championships for the first time in the event's 92-year history this week, giving the home crowd a packed schedule of finals and a chance to watch several of the country's biggest track and field names on familiar ground.
The headline attraction is Keely Hodgkinson, who begins the defence of her women’s 800m title in a race that is being billed as potentially the race of the year. The 24-year-old remains the one to beat in many eyes, but Audrey Werro has already shown this season that the chase is real. Werro ran 1min 53.98sec in Stockholm in June to beat Hodgkinson, a time that makes her the third fastest woman in the race’s history.
Hodgkinson has made clear she is not approaching the week as a burden. Asked about the pressure of competing at home, she said she does not really see it that way and views the occasion more as motivation. She also said there will be plenty of family support in the stands and that winning European gold in front of a home crowd would be incredibly special, almost as special to her as her Olympic title in Paris.
Asher-Smith adds another British title thread
DIna Asher-Smith is another major British name in the mix. She is the defending champion and the British athlete with the most European golds, which gives her a significant place in the championship storyline even before the first medals are handed out. With Britain hosting the event for the first time since it began, her presence adds to the sense that this is a week built around both current form and recent history.
The wider British team also has several other athletes in medal positions or finals. That list includes Amy Hunt, Matt Hudson-Smith, Emily Newnham, Elise Thorner, Katarina Johnson-Thompson, Jake Wightman, Amber Anning, Ben Pattison and Max Burgin, while the relay finals and hurdle events should also draw attention.
Among the other major storylines, the women’s 100m, women’s 200m, women’s 400m hurdles, men’s 400m hurdles, mixed relay final, men’s 4x100m relay and women’s 4x100m relay all sit in a busy week of action. There is also a significant note in the heptathlon, where Nafi Thiam's withdrawal means there will be a new champion for the first time since 2016.
For Hodgkinson, the week is about more than defending a title. It is about delivering on home soil in an arena that rarely gets this kind of championship spotlight. For Britain, it is a rare chance to host a major continental meet and watch several familiar names chase medals in front of their own fans.
