Dina Asher-Smith beaten in 200m final; Laura Muir, Zharnel Hughes seal golds at European Championships

Dina Asher-Smith suffered disappointment in the final of the 200m at the European Championships after Switzerland’s Mujinga Kambundji beat her to the line.

Asher-Smith, the defending champion, had led at the bend, but Kambundji hit the front of the race with 80m left and the Brit could not respond.

“I definitely came here for the gold,” said Asher-Smith. “But sometimes it is what it is.”

“This year has been up and down. I am happy to be here, but not so happy with a silver, but you have to take it.”

Asher-Smith’s disappointment tempered what was otherwise an astonishing evening of success for Great Britain. Laura Muir picked up gold in the 1500m and Zharnel Hughes and Natheneel Mitchell-Blake secured a British 1-2 in the men’s 200m.

Elsewhere, Lawrence Okoye took a surprise bronze in the men’s discus.

The medal rush began when a season’s best throw of 67.14 saw Okoye seal a surprise bronze, behind Lithuania’s Mykolas Alekna, who took gold in a championship record of 69.78. Kristjan Ceh of Slovenia took bronze.

Then Muir kicked at the bell to add European gold to a world bronze, and a gold and a silver at the Commonwealth Games – all of which were won over a five-week period.

The Brit finished in a time of 4:01.08. Ciara Mageean of Ireland took silver in a season’s best of 4:02.56 and Sofia Ennaoui of Poland secured bronze in a time of 4:03.59. GB’s Katie Snowden settled for fourth with a time of 4:04.97.

“It looked hard on paper but actually doing it in person, never again,” said Muir afterwards.

“It was an amazing opportunity and a very unique one that we’d ever get three championships in a year, let alone in five weeks in the summer.

“It’s just insane but I said you know what, I’ll give it a go.

“I got a medal at all three and to win the Commonwealths and win here, I’m so happy. This was the hardest one – on paper it looked the easiest: one event, only two rounds, but it’s the easiest out of the three physically.

“But it was so tough mentally – the most difficult race I think I’ve ever run. It was so hard – credit to all the other athletes who have done the three events, because it’s so difficult.”

Next up, Zharnel Hughes finished in a time of 20.07 to hold off GB team-mate Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake to add 200m gold to the silver he secured in the 100m.

“It was all strategy,” Hughes said.

“Once I got lane three, I said I have been here before, I just need to get out good enough and maintain it with the guys. Once I got to 110, 120, I made my move and showed my composure, cross the line for a gold medal.”

Filippo Tortu of Italy beat Charles Dobson to the line to prevent an all-British podium.

“I’ve only raced twice over the 200m before coming here, I’ve come back from a pretty big hamstring tear, and I’m happy I made it even just to get to the final,” said Dobson afterwards. “But it’s bittersweet.”