Matt Hudson-Smith claimed Olympic silver in the 400m but it proved another agonisingly close miss in pursuit of an elusive gold on the world stage after a storming run from Quincy Hall secured gold for USA.
The American came home like a train, charging down the final 100m to catch the Briton, who had held off Jereem Richards while coming off the bend, seizing victory by just four-hundredths of a second in 43.40 seconds.
Hudson-Smith would better his own European record in 43.44 seconds, coming home ahead of Zambia’s Muzala Samukonga in bronze. But the anguish on his face, while screaming an expletive in frustration as he stumbled over the line, illustrates the lofty expectations the 29-year-old held entering Paris 2024.
The Great Britain star has endured a career packed with crushing injuries and mental health problems, even revealing he attempted to take his own life after the Covid pandemic. But he entered Paris 2024 on a roll and with newfound belief. A first major medal with World Championship bronze in 2022 was upgraded to silver 12 months later. But having smashed his own European record in 43.74 seconds last month at the London Diamond League, securing the world lead in the process, it felt like Hudson-Smith’s time in Paris.
But the fifth-fastest time in history proved too much to overcome, with Hall bridging a gap of around six metres, timing his move perfectly as the lactate sapped the spring in Hudson-Smith’s legs as he sensed his moment.
More to follow…