Hodgkinson and Hughes claim silver in Birmingham

Keely Hodgkinson and Zharnel Hughes both won silver as the Novuna Great Britain & Northern Ireland Team took their medal tally to 10 at the Birmingham 2026 European Championships.

Hodgkinson (Leigh Harriers & AC, Trevor Painter) finished second behind Audrey Werro as the eagerly-anticipated women’s 800m final lived up to expectations.

The Olympic champion was roared on by a capacity Alexander Stadium crowd as she sought to reel in the Swiss 22-year-old on the home straight and make it three European golds in succession.

But Werro held on to win in a new Championship record of 1:54.81, with Hodgkinson two-tenths of a second further back.

“It was a great race, I love a good challenge and that’s what it was,” Hodgkinson said.

“Congratulations to Audrey, I’m sure we’ll have many battles ahead of us.”

Jemma Reekie (Kilbarchan AAC, John Bigg) finished fifth in 1:59.15 on her return to a major international final.

Hughes (Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers, Glen Mills) earned his sixth European Championship medal with his silver in the men’s 200m.

The 2022 champion over this distance finished in 20.16s, with gold going to Germany’s Owen Ansah.

“I obviously wanted gold, but I’m happy with my fight, I still got a medal, I’m on the podium, I’m grateful.” 

Kimani Jack (Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers, Ryan Bailey) and Joel Clarke-Khan (Thames Valley Harriers, Deirdre Elmhirst) finished fourth and fifth respectively in the men’s high jump final.

Jack cleared his first attempt at 2.23m, with Clarke-Khan going over second time around, but both were unsuccessful with all three goes at 2.27m.

Jack said: “I believe I gave it my best, but I don’t think I performed my best. I have had a good season, but there are things I need to work on, new things I need to practice to improve my performance. That’s what I am willing to do, this has given me a motivation for next season.”

Clarke-Khan added; “I can’t walk away disappointed with what I did today. First of all, being here and then making it to the final. Where I’m at and where I’ve been, there’s a huge achievement. I’ll take that, and I’ll build it.”

In the women’s 10,000m final, Megan Keith (Inverness Harriers AAC, Ross Cairns) recorded a season’s best of 32:04.81 as she came home eighth.

Keith, who won bronze over 5,000m at the Commonwealth Games, said: “It wasn’t how I thought the race might go, I like to take risks and big swings and sometimes they work and sometimes don’t.

“I was feeling good, I wouldn’t have made a move if I wasn’t feeling good. I just misjudged it, but I knew the race had to get moving at some point and it didn’t look like anyone else was doing it and I gave it a good go.”

Izzy Fry (Newbury AC, Sonia McGeorge) finished 16th in 32:37.22, with Poppy Tank (City of Plymouth) crossing 23rd in 34:03.99.

Fry said: “My overriding feeling has just been so much pride, that crowd was incredible. I told myself I wanted to come off and be proud that I put myself in good contention and a good position and up to 3K I was really proud of that race.”

Jade O’Dowda and Katarina Johnson-Thompson sit 15th and 16th respectively after four events in the women’s heptathlon.

O’Dowda threw 13.69m in the shot put, with Johnson-Thompson managing 12.79m. The opening 200m race saw O’Dowda finish third in 24.51, while 2018 silver medallist Johnson-Thompson clocked 24.46.

“I thought I was in a bit better shape than that, but you just don’t know until you put yourself out there,” Johnson-Thompson said.

“There is a bit of disappointment, but I am proud as well.”

O’Dowda added: “It’s definitely mixed emotions, but I’m trying to keep the wave of those last two events that I’ve had into tomorrow.”