Briton completes his medal set with another European title and Haydock-Wilson land bronze, while Femke Bol completes first part of her double challenge

The only thing which Matthew Hudson-Smith wanted to see dazzling in Munich tonight (August 17) was another 400m European Championships gold medal hanging around his neck.

He didn’t want to produce any fireworks. Although some had thought he might break not just the championships record but also the European record in his pursuit of a second consecutive title at the Olympic Stadium, the World Championships bronze medallist and Commonwealth silver medallist hadn’t been looking to show off – he just wanted to make sure of another prize.

Losing out on top spot in his to Muzala Samukonga in Birmingham had stung – it was time to salve the wound.

Although he was very slightly behind at the halfway stage, it had all been part of Hudson-Smith’s plan to run conservatively in the back straight and then “wind it up”. The Briton did just that and came home in 44.53, narrowly missing Iwan Thomas’ championships best of 44.52 from 1998. Not that the victor cared.

Swiss European U23 champion Ricky Petrucciani took silver in 45.03, while Britain’s Alex Haydock-Wilson let the emotions begin to tumble out after also winning the first major senior honour of his career in his first individual European final with a bronze in 45.17, the same time awarded to Netherlands’ Liemarvin Bonevacia.

“I didn’t want to go for the show, I just wanted the victory,” said Hudson-Smith, who covered the first 200m in 21.40. “I knew a lot of people thought I was going to go blazing down the back straight so I used them in a sense. I was lot more controlled in the back straight and then wound it up.”

After almost walking away from the sport and reaching some very dark places mentally, in less than a year a switch of training set-up has yielded individual medals at every major outdoor championships for the 27-year-old this year. Which, though, had brought most satisfaction?

“I’d probably go for [bronze in] Eugene,” he said. “Not because it was against the world but it was the start – it was a testimony to my coach and my team around me that we’re on the right track. It’s hardly been a year and we’re delivering medals.”

Thomas Schönlebe’s 1987 mark of 44.33 still stands as the European record, then. For now.

“The goal is the European record and to be the first European guy to run under 44 but, right now, my goal is to get as many medals as I can,” said Hudson-Smith. “I’ll use the Diamond Leagues to go for times.”

He added: “I think everyone would be lying if they said they hadn’t had a moment where they’d wanted to walk away from the sport. If you persist, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. If you keep fighting, the results will show.”

His work isn’t quite done in Munich, though. “I want to show the world that Great Britain’s 4x400m is back.”

He will be joined in that pursuit by Haydock-Wilson, who also now has a tangible reward for all of his efforts.

“Delighted is an understatement,” said the 23-year-old. “So many years have gone into this, so many emotions have gone into this. The medal isn’t the be all and end all but what it represents is so special. Before the race I reflected on what this would mean not just to me but the people around me, the people who have poured into me, the people we’ve carried along the way, the people we’ve lost along the way.

‘It’s a checkpoint on a mountain that I have to believe I can climb. But getting to this checkpoint is really, really reassuring.”

Femke Bol is an exceptional talent. Remove the world dominating 400m hurdling exploits of Sydney McLaughlin from the equation and the young Dutchwoman would be gaining many more headlines and an even more rapidly escalating profile.

There is plenty of attention focused on her in Munich, mind you, and she completed the first part of the audacious 400m and 400m hurdles double challenge she has set herself in Germany.

The 22-year-old world silver medallist was pushed all the way, but she recorded a European-leading time of 49.44 which was also the third-fastest performance over 400m this year.

In a similar scenario to the men’s race, the European Indoor champion found herself behind – to fellow countrywoman Lieke Klaver – at halfway but surged through to win.

As Klaver began to pay the price for setting off so quickly, Natalia Kaczmarek (49.94) and her compatriot Anna Kielbasińska (50.29), both part of Poland’s Olympic silver medal-winning 4x400m relay team last year, took bronze.

British champion Vicky Ohuruogu’s surge for the line came just a little too late as she finished fourth in 50.51, while, running in lane one, Rhasidat Adeleke produced an impressive performance to break the Irish record with 50.53 in fifth.

There was little time for Bol to celebrate – a lunchtime date on Thursday lunchtime with the 400m hurdles semi-finals now awaits.

“This is my first gold medal at the outdoor championships,” she grinned. “I know that I won’t sleep a lot today so tomorrow’s 400m hurdles final is going to be tough.”