Great Britain signed off from the European Championships in Munich on a high with gold in the men’s 4x100m relay in championship record time.
The quartet of Jeremiah Azu, Zharnel Hughes, Jona Efoloko, and Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake glided to victory in 37.67 seconds to successfully defend their title from 2018.
The four never looked in trouble as they guided the baton round with a serene performance to secure Great Britain’s sixth athletics gold of the Championships.
It was a second gold for Hughes, and the 200m European champion was thrilled to add to his collection.
“I feel really proud of myself,” said Hughes. “To come out here with the guys again and get the job done was most important.
“Hitting the check marks and getting the baton round as smoothly as possible, and to come away with a second gold medal to end my Championships is an amazing feeling.”
It was a second 4x100m relay gold for Hughes and Mitchell-Blake, who were both in the team from 2018, but a first for Azu and Efoloko.
And 22-year-old Efoloko praised the team environment that helped power the team to gold.
He said: “Nethaneel and Zharnel, who have been here for a long time, have really embraced me and Jeremiah, the younger guys coming in.
“I’ve really loved the team chemistry, the bonding and going away with a gold is sweet, a nice way to wrap up the Championships.”
However, it was disappointment for the women’s 4x100m quartet who failed to get the baton home in their final.
The team of Asha Philip, Imani-Lara Lansiquot, Ashleigh Nelson, and Dina Asher-Smith were looking to defend their title but uncharacteristically dropped the baton during the changeover between Philip and Lansiquot.
But there was success on the track for Jake Wightman, who took silver in the men’s 800m to round off a stellar summer of major championships.
The 1500m world champion added to his growing medal collection with a season’s best time of 1:44.91 to finish second behind Spain’s Mariano Garcia.
Wightman dropped down to the shorter distance for the European Championships and hopes to compete in the two-lap race more often going forward alongside his more familiar 1500m.
He said: “You look at the days of Coe and Ovett in Moscow 1980, coming out and running as well in an 800m as in 1500m.
“I’d love to be like that – and this is a good stepping stone towards it for me.
“Every round I’ve learned a little bit more throughout the seasons – I hope I can race some more 800m in championships, because I feel like I’ve got some potential to go and do that on a global stage if I give a little bit more care towards it.”
Elsewhere, Jake Jarman continued his fairytale summer by claiming a stunning gold in the men’s vault.
Jarman was not meant to be competing on the apparatus, only swapping in for Giarnni Regini-Moran at the last moment.
But the 20-year-old was unfazed as he produced a terrific performance to take top spot with an average score of 14.983 to finish ahead of Armenia’s Artur Davtyan.
It was a sixth gold of the summer for Jarman, who added to his four Commonwealth golds and European team gold.
And Jarman also clinched bronze in the floor exercise final to take his medal haul to seven overall.
“It was very last minute to compete vault and it feels incredible I can’t quite believe it to be honest,” said Jarman.
“I knew there was a chance of competing so warmed up and was ready. I saw it as a huge opportunity and wanted to make the most of it.
“As soon as I landed the vaults I knew I’d done well, I was against some of my heroes so just to compete against them was amazing and to win I can’t describe.
“This summer has just been the craziest few months of my life I can’t quite wrap my head around it, I’m so grateful to my coaches and everyone behind the scenes who’s been there for me”
There was also more gymnastics glory, as Joe Fraser won his third gold of the Championships with top spot in the parallel bars.
Fraser scored a huge 15.333 to take gold ahead of compatriot Regini-Moran, who took bronze with a score of 14.866.
And the success didn’t end there in the Olympiahalle in Munich, as Courtney Tulloch took an assured bronze in the rings.
The 26-year-old won his second medal of the Championships with a score of 14.866 to finish behind Greece’s Eleftherios Petrounias and Turkey’s Adem Asil.
“I’m super happy,” said Tulloch. “I’ve felt really confident all week on rings.
“It was one of the cleanest routines I’ve done in a long time, stuck the dismount - really happy.
“It’s amazing to be on the medal podium, I felt good waking up today and knew I was going to smash it”
And in the pool, there was yet more success for Jack Laugher who claimed gold in the men’s 3m synchro with Anthony Harding.
The pair finished over 25 points clear of second place, as Laugher romped to his second gold of the Championships after also taking top spot in the 1m springboard.
There was success too in the men’s 10m platform, as Noah Williams and Ben Cutmore both podiumed, taking silver and bronze respectively.
The British duo finished behind Ukrainian Oleksiy Sereda, who ended on 493.55, with Williams posting a score of 459.00 and Cutmore 438.55, with the latter adding to his gold in the 10m platform synchro with Kyle Kothari.
It caps a terrific Championships for Great Britain in Rome, finishing top of the diving medal table with six golds, three silvers, and three bronzes, just ahead of hosts Italy.
Sportsbeat 2022