Great Britain completed a memorable 100m sprint double at the 2026 European Athletics Championships in Birmingham after Romell Glave won the men’s title, with compatriot Jeremiah Azu taking silver at Alexander Stadium.
Glave clocked 10.09 seconds to claim gold, while Azu finished in 10.16s. Germany’s Owen Ansah took bronze in 10.19s.
The victory came a day after Amy Hunt won the women’s 100m title in 11.00 seconds, giving the hosts gold in both individual 100m events.
For Glave, the triumph represented a significant upgrade from the bronze medal he won at the previous European Championships.
Speaking after the race, the 26-year-old credited his improved start for helping him execute his race plan.
“It is an amazing feeling. Just the work I put in to come here and execute my race. We have been working on my start, and I was able to execute that today,” Glave said.
“Upgrading from a bronze medal from 2024 is an amazing feeling.”
The British sprinter said the team had targeted a clean sweep of the medals but was delighted with the one-two finish.
“That was the aim to get one, two, and three, but we got one-two, which is also amazing,” he said.
Glave’s victory came in a dramatic final after Italy’s Marcell Jacobs, the reigning European champion, pulled up midway through the race and finished last.
Despite the setback for one of the pre-race favourites, Glave remained focused on his own performance.
Asked about Britain’s dominance in the 100m, he simply described it as “total domination.”
Azu, meanwhile, produced a major championship performance after what he described as an inconsistent season.
“That was really nice. A tough year up and down,” the silver medallist said.
Azu said he had approached the final with one objective: to produce his best performance when it mattered.
“We always say times are irrelevant at this point. You want to go out there and race for medals,” he said.
“I want to put in my best performance in the final and I felt like I did that today.”
The pair had spoken about the possibility of a British clean sweep before the race, although the withdrawal of other contenders and Jacobs’ misfortune ultimately shaped the final.
“We were always speaking about it that we were going one, two and three. We got one and two, so we did pretty well,” Azu said.
The result adds to Glave’s strong 2026 campaign. He won the UK 100m title in June in 9.98 seconds, ahead of Zharnel Hughes, while Azu finished third in that race.
Glave’s European title now gives him another major honour after his 2024 bronze. World Athletics lists him as a Great Britain athlete following his eligibility to represent the country from 2023.
British athletics figures praised the home sprinters for handling the pressure of competing in front of their home crowd.
Asha Philip said the pair had used the atmosphere to their advantage, while former 400m runner Allison Curbishley highlighted Azu’s explosive start.
The British one-two also pushed Great Britain to the top of the medal table after two days of competition, with two golds and two silvers.
With both individual 100m titles now secured, the hosts have made a powerful start to their home European Championships.
