Great Britain break 32-year record to take gold in 4x100m men’s relay at European Championships

Great Britain won gold in the 4x100m men’s relay on Sunday night – but it wasn’t enough to secure first place in the 2022 European Athletics Championships medal table behind hosts Germany.

The quartet of Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake, Jeremiah Azu, Zharnel Hughes and Jona Efoloko broke a 32-year championship record with a time of 37.67 to top the podium on the final day of the European Championships in Munich.

The result sent GB level with Germany for gold medals after the hosts’ team fumbled at the changeover.

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But the roles were reversed in the women’s event as Asha Philip’s changeover to Imani Lansiquot failed to come off leaving Ashleigh Nelson and Dina Asher-Smith unable to pursue the winning Germany team as the hosts claimed their seventh gold of the games.

Hughes – who was also crowned the 200m champion on Friday – was a member of the 2018 team that also won gold and he was delighted to have helped defend the title.

“I’m proud of myself to come out here with the guys again and get the job done, it was most important,” he told BBC Sport.

“To come away with a second gold medal is an amazing feeling.”

Mitchell-Blake said to break a championship record was a “bonus”, adding: “It was a true team effort and it’s nice to end the championship with a gold.”

Azu had sympathy for the women’s team, saying: “They put in a lot of work so it’s hard to watch that. But one mistake doesn’t define them. I’m sure next year they will come back better.”

Philip said she was “shocked” that her team had made such an error on what was a huge occasion.

“I can’t really get my head around it just yet,” she added.

“We were so excited because the boys had just broken a championship record.”

Meanwhile, Jack Wightman had to settle for a silver medal in a close finish to the men’s 800m final, missing out on gold to Spain’s Mariano Garcia by just 0.06secs despite clocking a season’s best one minute 44.91 seconds. Ireland’s Mark English clinched bronze.

“I really wanted to add the European 800m title to my world 1500m title and I felt in the shape to do it,” Wightman told BBC Sport.

“The toughest bit [of the season] was after winning the 1500m at the Worlds. I’m pleased with how I managed to come back and I’m still running well.

“It’s something that I can reflect on at the end of the season and be proud of – that I got something from each of these championships.”