Double European gold for sprinting star Hunt
CHARNWOOD AC sprint star Amy Hunt has stormed to double gold for GB in the European Under-20 Championships in Sweden.
European U20 leader & British U20 record holder Hunt delivered a supreme display to win the women’s 200m and then played a part in the women’s 4x100m relay gold.
In the final of the individual 200m, after sailing through the heats and semi-finals, she pressed well early on, having a slight advantage over her rivals coming off the bend to win in 22.93.
In the 4x100m relay, the 17-year-old picked up her second goal alongside Cassie-Ann Pemberton, Georgina Adam and Immanuela Aliu as GB won in a time of 44.11
Hunt said she couldn’t ask for more: “It is crazy. I am so, so happy. I am absolutely over the moon, this has been the goal all year and I have been working really hard towards it and to come here and execute everything perfectly, I couldn’t ask for more.
“In the 200m I had an amazing start for once, really powered around the first bit of the bend and tried to maintain it in the second half and I really went for it down the home straight. I could hear my name being screamed which is really special – it was really awesome.
“It is incredible. It has been a quick turnaround but a great learning curve. I have learnt a lot about myself and how my recovery works and the team that support me.
“It’s incredible and really special to have won a second gold medal. I know that all the hard work we’ve put in and all the sessions we’ve been through and all the work we’ve done has paid off.
“It’s a massive thanks to the coaches and the Futures Relay programme that we’ve been able to come out here and do something special.”
Loughborough Uni athlete Georgia Adam finished the 200m final in fifth place in a time of 23.75 before winning gold as part of the 4x100m relay team.
There was also a place on the podium for 400m hurdles specialist Seamus Derbyshire who clocked an impressive 50.86s PB on his way to a silver medal behind Sweden’s Carl Bengtstrom.
After the race, Derbyshire said: “I felt great and I got out hard which was what I needed to do and I knew coming into the home straight I had the kick and I could keep pushing on. I knew once I got over hurdle seven I was in a medal position and that a medal was mine. I felt so strong coming into the home straight and to finally break 51 seconds is an amazing feeling as well.
“Two years ago I won Commonwealth Youth Games silver and I knew that two years later, I wanted to do at least the same at the Europeans and to achieve that with a PB, I’m so happy with what I’ve done.
“I was so close to my PB in the semis and didn’t know how much more I had to give today but as soon as I got on the start line, I knew I could PB again today, I don’t know how it happened but it did.”
There was also a place on the podium for Joshua Lay in the mens 1500m final - Lay produced a phenomenal race to grab bronze in 3:56:20, a fraction behind winner Portugal’s Nuno Pereira in 3:55:85 and Holland’s Robin Van Riel in 3:56:03.