European Athletics Championships 2022: Leading British medal hopes include Dina Asher-Smith and Jake Wightman

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The European Athletics Championships get underway in Munich on Monday, with Britain’s athletes continuing what has been a mammoth summer off the back of the World Championships and Commonwealth Games.

Here are Britain’s ten leading medal hopes...

Jake Wightman (men’s 800m)

The newly-crowned world champion over 1500m called the Commonwealth Games the least enjoyable championships of his career as he struggled to get motivated after his shock Oregon success and had to settle for bronze.

He drops back to the shorter middle-distance here, having run a superb 1000m to win at last week’s Diamond League in Monaco.

AFP via Getty Images

Laura Muir (women’s 1500m)

Like Wightman, Muir is looking to medal at a third successive major championships this summer, having won world 1500m bronze before taking gold at the Commonwealths, where she also won bronze in the 800m.

She’s decided not to double up in Munich and is the firm favourite to defend the title she won four years ago.

World Athletics Championships Oregon22 - Day Four - Eugene
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Keely Hodgkinson (women’s 800m)

The third of Britain’s middle-distance stars, she has won world, Commonwealth and Olympic silver over the last 12 months and is now searching for a first senior outdoor title.

She’s run more than two seconds quicker than anyone else in the field this year and her biggest threat could come from team-mate Jemma Reekie.

Getty Images for World Athletics

Dina Asher-Smith (women’s 100m, 200m and 4x100m)

The sprinter is looking to defend all three of her European titles, having missed the Commonwealth Games because of a minor hamstring injury.

She looked in brilliant form at the World Championships, winning 200m bronze and equalling the national record for fourth in the 100m, but question marks hang over her fitness after pulling up in the relay.

World Athletics Championships Oregon22 - Day Seven
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Eilish McColgan (women’s 5,000m and 10,000m)

Looking to cap a magnificent summer with more medal success after leaving Birmingham with a gold and silver.

She is the fastest in the field this year over the longer distance but faces what looks a strong field in the first track final of the meeting on Monday night.

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Matthew Hudson-Smith (men’s 400m)

The defending champion spent much of the four years since the last Championships in Berlin struggling for form but has had a sensational resurgence this season.

He broke the British record to take bronze at the World Championships and is now looking to complete the summer set after winning Commonwealth silver.

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Zharnel Hughes (men’s 100m, 200m and 4x100m)

A slightly disappointing summer so far for Hughes, who failed to make the 100m final in Oregon and then had to settle for 200m silver in Birmingham, but three medals here would make amends.

He is the defending champion in the shorter event and second fastest in the field this year after team-mate Reece Prescod.

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Lizzie Bird (women’s 3,000m steeplechase)

In brilliant form after winning Commonwealth silver, then smashing her personal best to finish fourth at the Monaco Diamond League and move fourth on the European all-time list.

She reclaimed the British record in the process, having seen it taken by team-mate Aimee Pratt in the world final. Pratt could also contend for a medal here.

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Cindy Sember (women’s 100m hurdles)

She broke the British record in a lightning-quick semi-final in Oregon and was the only European to reach the final.

As a result, comes in as the fastest in the field and the firm favourite to take gold in Munich.

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Relay teams

Britain will be favourites for gold in the men’s 4x100m after winning bronze in Oregon, while a similar quartet triumphed for England in Birmingham.

The women are similarly fancied, though the field looks deeper and Asher-Smith’s fitness may play a part.

Britain’s 4x400m women took a brilliant silver at the World Championships and that event should be a barnstormer, with six of the eight teams from the Oregon final in action in Munich.

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