Road to Paris 2024: Britain's golden moments at the European Athletics Championships

Athletics 14 Jun 24

Girl power was Great Britain's overarching theme at the 2024 European Athletics Championships.

A small but mighty team stormed to third in the medal table in Rome, with a staggering 10 of their 13 medals coming from women's individual and team events.

It was a championship that is sure to set the tone for Paris 2024, where even more British stars will be ready to set the Stade de France ablaze in August.

Here are the golden moments from the European Athletics Championships:

Asher-Smith back on top

It had been six years since Dina Asher-Smith last stood on top of the European podium.

The sprinter stormed to 100m and 200m victory at the 2018 continental championships in Berlin but was unable to defend her title in the 2022 final due to a calf cramp mid-race.

It was a painful set-back that then saw her finish eighth in the 100m final and seventh in the 200m at the 2023 World Championship.

But Asher-Smith changed that narrative with a golden performance at Rome 2024.

Her 100m semi-final run of 10.96 is the fastest recorded effort by a European this year and the two-time Olympian backed it up with gold in the final.

Despite having one of the worst starts of her career, Asher-Smith fought her way back to the front in a time of 10.99.

"I’m in a great place, but when you’ve got a few new things to get your head round sometimes it does take a little bit of time," she said.

"I’m very excited [for Paris]. I think a European Olympics is going to be so much fun and, if I am being honest, my mentality this year is just chill out and have a great time."

Keely brushes off illness to defend her title

Olympic silver medallist Keely Hodgkinson successfully defended her 800m title despite a bout of illness.

The 22-year-old looked to be on top form in Rome as she led from the front and held on to victory in a time of one minute and 58.65 seconds.

Hodgkinson had revealed a day earlier than she wasn't feeling up to scratch, with a sore throat and sniffles running havoc in her warmup.

But illness didn't seem to hold her back too much, cruising to victory half a second faster than she won her 2022 title.

"It not been the greatest 24 hours," she said.

"I felt a little bit of a sore throat and sniffles yesterday in the warm-up. And then it got worse. I was lying in bed, thinking can I run?

"But I had to believe in the fact that I am the defending champion.

"I would have liked a better time but it was just about finding a way to win."

Desiree Henry shines in the 4x100m relay

The last time Desiree Henry lined up on the European Championships start line, she was qualifying for the Rio 2016 Olympics.

At Rome 2024, she was back winning gold alongside Asher-Smith, Daryll Neita and Amy Hunt in the women's 4x100m relay ahead of Paris 2024.

Henry, who was part of the silver medal winning relay at Rio 2016, has had surgery on both knees and struggled with her mental health in the past few years.

The sprinter missed out on Tokyo 2020 but has returned to full speed ahead of this summer's Games, teaming up with her British teammates and storming to gold in Rome, 10 years after her last European crown at Zurich 2014.

She said: “I couldn’t hold it back (the tears).

"This has just been incredible, and I am so proud to be back in this position.

"So many things have been thrown at me, but I love the sport at the end of the day. This is where I want to be, racing with these amazing girls."

Teamwork makes the dream work in a half marathon

Calli Hauger-Thackery led Britain to their first gold of Rome 2024 with women's half-marathon team victory.

A fearsome four of Hauger-Thackery, Abbie Donnelly, Clara Evans and Lauren McNeil combined to take the team title with the Paris 2024-bound athlete also taking individual bronze in a time of 1hr08.58.

Donnelly was close behind in sixth, Evans in ninth and McNeil in 17th to place them on top of the podium overall.

The event might not be in the Olympic Games this summer but it proved a vital test for Hauger-Thackery who was announced as part of Team GB's marathon squad following a terrific debut at McKirdy Micro Marathon in Valley Cottage, New York last year.

She said: "I am so proud of this team, they are amazing to be with, in the lead up they have been so inspirational and positive, and we got the job done as a team as well.

"Team gold shows a lot about where British women’s running at the moment, I’m very proud of us all."

Sportsbeat 2024

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