Romell Glave emerged from winning the 100m final at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham wearing a gold costume crown and declared “now is my time to dominate”.
The 26-year-old Jamaica-born sprinter, who moved to Croydon as a teen and fractured his back twice in the last six years, spending “the whole of 2022” in a brace, made it a British one-two with Welshman Jeremiah Azu taking silver on the second night of the championships.
Like compatriot Amy Hunt, who won the women’s 100m on opening night, Glave was a prodigal teen – nine years ago even holding the honour of being the world’s fastest 17-year-old and it took 10.09 seconds to silence any of his remaining doubters.
“At the start of the season my main objective was to be the king of Europe,” said Glave, the bronze medallist at the last European championships in 2024.
“I’m a different athlete now, my mindset is to that elite level. I wanted to win this European championship. I was able to do that today, so it’s an amazing feeling.
“I wouldn’t say (I felt) counted out because sometimes we feel like it should be our time, but everything doesn’t happen in your time. It happened when it’s supposed to happen.
“Standing right here, this is my moment, and I’m able to enjoy this moment myself. Other people came before me, but now it’s my time to dominate.”
Azu was seven hundredths of a second slower and Germany’s Owen Ansah took bronze.
A potential British clean-sweep of the podium was not possible after Louie Hinchliffe was forced to withdraw from the final due to an injury sustained during the semi-finals.
Former Olympic champion Marcell Jacobs was the big name on the start line for the final but the Italian – plagued by injuries since his success in Tokyo – limped over the line in seventh.
Glave, who also grew up playing cricket and football, moved to South Norwood in London to join his builder father “for a better opportunity to help me in life in general”.
Unsurprisingly, he grew up idolising Usain Bolt and joined local club Croydon Harriers, and earned the world’s fastest 17-year-old honours in 2017, before the injury woes set in.
“I was so determined to make it,” he said. “I know I have the ability to be one of the best. ‘Delayed but not denied’, that quote, but also a living testimony to be patient. Don’t look at other people’s journeys. Everyone’s journey is unique.”
Earlier, local favourite Matthew Hudson-Smith made it through to Wednesday night’s 400m final, but perhaps not in the dominant fashion the home favourite would have hoped for.
There were concerns the Olympic silver medallist, who has a stand named after him at the Alexander Stadium for the duration of these championships, might have sustained an injury after finishing second in his semi-final, where he appeared to grimace with about 50m remaining.
He later confirmed he had simply “misjudged” the race and its winner, Dutchman Jonas Phijffers, who set a personal-best 44.63 seconds, 15 hundredths of a second faster than Hudson-Smith.
Fellow Briton Charlie Dobson did not advance.
