Matthew Hudson-Smith has vowed to give himself one more crack at Olympic gold after agonisingly missing out here in the Stade de France last night.
Hudson-Smith went into last night’s 400m final as the fastest man in the world this year and favourite to land a first global title, but was denied in the final strides by the fast-finishing American Quincy Hall, who took gold by four-hundredths of a second in a rapid time of 43.40sec.
Both men leaped into the top five on the all-time list, with Hudson-Smith shattering his own European record, but he was ultimately forced to settle for silver again, having also finished second in last year’s world final in Budapest.
“I thought I had it,” the Briton admitted. “We knew coming in it would come down to the last 50 metres. When the last 50 came, he was strong and he nicked it. That’s it. I’m not angry, I’m not upset. It’s life at the end of the day. There will always only be one winner. [Hall] did what he had to do, he came on strong. I can’t complain.”
It has been a decade since Hudson-Smith made his major breakthrough when breaking 45sec as a teenager, but his career since has been heavily disrupted by injury, as well as the mental health struggles that saw him attempt suicide in 2021.
At 29, though, the Birchfield Harrier is clearly in the form of his life and, crucially, still improving as he already sets his sights on Los Angeles in 2028 and an elusive gold medal.
Matthew Hudson-Smith was only just beaten to gold in the 400m!
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) August 7, 2024
He set a new European record of 43.44 seconds 🔥#Paris2024 #Olympics #BBCOlympics pic.twitter.com/9aqQ2EvjRv
“I have been in the game a long time, but had a relatively short career,” he explained. “In 2015, I had stress fractures, 2016 was up and down, I tore my hamstring. In 2017, I had a lot of personal problems outside of the sport, 2018 I moved to America, 2019 I tore my Achilles... 2020 was Covid, 2021 — let’s not even talk about it.
“Then, literally, about 2022 is when it really started to click. This is just the start. My time is going to come at the end of the day. I have another four years left and then I am out.”
Other than his conqueror, Hall, last night, only three men in history have run faster than Hudson-Smith’s new personal best 43.44sec: American greats Butch Reynolds and Michael Johnson, and South Africa’s world-record holder Wayde van Niekerk.
Hudson-Smith finished eighth in the 2016 Olympic final in which Van Niekerk set that mark (43.03sec), and believes he can get close to, or possibly even better it before his career is done.
“I’m the best in the world when I’m healthy,” he added. “This is just the start. I’ll lower the time [in the 400m] and go for a 19 second [in the 200m] and shake things up a bit more.
“When it clicks, it is going to be special. I was in the world-record race, so I know what is like to be in a calibre race where everyone is crazy and talented.
“We have plans on bigger times. It didn’t come in the Olympics, but I have another four years, and that is the last you are going to see of me. I am never coming on the track ever again [after that]. I am getting fat, man.”
Elsewhere, Amber Anning lowered her personal best to ensure Britain will go into tomorrow’s women’s 400m final with outside medal hopes. Anning, who has already won bronze in the mixed 4x400m relay at these Games, ran 49.47sec in her semi-final to qualify fourth-fastest for the final.
“I have a lot of confidence going into Friday,” said the 23-year-old. “I’m so proud that I’ve given myself a chance of a medal. That medal [in the mixed 4x400m relay] has given me so much motivation to win another one.”
