Matt Hudson-Smith missed out by four-hundredths of a second on a first British gold in the men’s 400m since the flying Scotsman Eric Liddell in 1924, but a slew of silver medals keeps Britain neck-and-neck with France in the Olympic medal table.
It was a lightning-quick affair at the Stade de France with both Quincy Hall, of the USA, and Hudson-Smith, from Birmingham, putting in the fastest runs of their careers in a thrilling race that was decided in the final yards. Hall’s 43.40 was the fifth fastest of all time while the British runner, who had been favourite for gold, beat his own European record with a time of 43.44. Muzala Samukonga of Zambia took bronze in 43.74.
Hudson-Smith, who was leading for much of the home straight, was furious with himself, burying his head in his father’s shoulder in the stands while Hall, wrapped in the stars and stripes, took in the crowd’s acclamation. For all of his evident disappointment, the silver was a tribute to the British racer’s resilience after coming back from a period only three years ago when injuries and a loss of sponsorship, along with huge medical debts, had brought him to his lowest ebb.
Hudson-Smith was not to emulate Liddell’s triumph in Paris in 1924, as immortalised in the 1981 film Chariots of Fire, but speaking after the race he recognised his achievements, adding that his “time is going to come”. He said: “It was crazy. Sometimes the journey is better than the result and it’s been a hell of a journey. I’m just grateful. I’ve got an Olympic silver medal and how many people can say that? I’ve been the bridesmaid a couple of times now but my time is coming. I’m just happy and grateful.
“My family are here. I didn’t know they were here so that was a bit of a shock. I hate them watching me and my parents don’t really watch me because they hate watching me as much as I hate them watching so it’s crazy that they came. I ran it exactly the way my coach told me to. We knew it was going to come down to the last 50 and I thought I had it but he had an extra gear. I hit the gear a little bit too late, as we came up he had one step on me and that was it. But I’m healthy, this is just the start and time to build.”
Both Britain and France have won around 50 medals in Paris although the the host nation have 13 golds to the British 12, putting them in fourth place behind the USA, China and Australia. A gold had seemed within reach for Team GB in the velodrome earlier on Wednesday as well but a saddle slip sent the men’s pursuit team of Ethan Hayter, Dan Bigham, Ethan Vernon and Charlie Tanfield off course, allowing Australia to top the podium.
Team GB had been straining to make up 0.17sec over the final 500m of the 4km race when Hayter appeared to touch wheels with a teammate and come off his saddle. Hayter said: “We were so close and I could see it. It was nearly five laps at the end and I just really gave too much, and my whole body went weak and I really struggled to hold myself on the bike in the end.
“Sorry to the guys but I think we gave everything and we can be proud of that silver medal. It was really there for the taking for us and we kind of knew that. We went out to get it but just came short in the end, so it’s a shame.”
Bigham suggested they had asked too much of Hayter as he anchored the race. He said: “We rode the fastest ride we have ever done on every ride. We were in the best form and the best kit, and literally we all gave it everything. It was scrappy because you are on the limit. You are riding quicker than you have ever ridden before and as Ethan said we probably gave it that little bit too much.
“We are really leaning on him at the moment because he is anchoring the team and he has the legs to do it. At the end of the day Ethan is still human and it is on us to make sure we deliver him in that best place and we maybe gave him a bit too much work to do there.”
The cycling silver marked the 1,000th medal for Team GB at the Olympics. British and Northern Irish athletes have competed at every modern Games since the first in Athens in 1896. Britain’s Elinor Barker, Anna Morris, Jess Roberts and Josie Knight then added to the grand total by taking a bronze in the women’s team pursuit, making it four medals from four events in the velodrome. Morris said: “It was my last chance to take in that atmosphere of this Games and I was already thinking I wanted to do it all over again and I hadn’t even done my final race yet.”
After an intervention by officials, George Mills will have a chance to add to the Paris medal haul after he was reinstated to the 5,000m final on Saturday after taking a fall in the heats. Mills had an altercation with France’s Hugo Hay immediately after a collision on the final lap which had brought down four runners, with the Frenchman still on his feet. Officials later agreed the British runner, who is the son of the former Leeds and England footballer Danny Mills, had been disadvantaged and put him through to the final following a review by the video referee.
Mills said: “I think it’s pretty clear. I got stepped out on as I was about to kick in the home straight and boom, the French lad took me down.” Asked what he said when he confronted Hay, he replied: “I’m probably not allowed to say.”
There remains uncertainty over whether the Olympic 10km swim marathons will be raced in Paris as a result of the level of E coli in the Seine. The women’s race is scheduled to start at 7.30am on Thursday but the swimmers will find out at 4am whether it is going ahead. The men’s race is due to start at the same time on Friday, with a decision to follow 3.30am water tests.
