Yahoo Sport 
Matt Hudson-Smith wins 400m gold in the European Championships
Matt Hudson-Smith continued his hugely impressive season by winning 400m gold at the European Championships in Munich last night, retaining the title he won in Berlin in 2018.
By doing so he made history by becoming the first British athlete to win three major medals in three different outdoor championships in the same year, after taking World Championships bronze in Oregon in July, followed by Commonwealth silver in his home city of Birmingham earlier this month.
The 27-year-old sprinter ran a pretty much flawless race, moving clear of the pack on the closing bend before extending his lead in the home straight to win in 44.53 seconds, securing Great Britain and Northern Ireland's first gold medal of the Championships.
Another Briton, Alex Haydock-Wilson, took bronze in 45.17. Separating them was Ricky Petrucciani of Switzerland, who came second in 45.03.
This dazzling season has proved to be a redemption of sorts for Hudson-Smith, who tore his hamstring and achilles in 2019, and racked up huge medical debts in the US, where he trains, trying to fix his injury problems.
When the Covid pandemic struck in 2020, he found himself isolated in Florida, away from his family and friends. His problems mounted and his mental health deteriorated to such an extent that he admitted earlier this summer that he attempted to take his own life this time last year. He pulled out of the Tokyo Olympics on medical grounds.
'Last year was a big low,' he admitted. 'You fight a lot of struggles and I’m pretty sure everyone in the world has been fighting their own demons. But I’m a testimony that there is always light at the end of the tunnel. Everyone who is going through struggles, just fight through it and you will come through.'
'I’m just trying to be real. It is nice being known as a role model, but I’m not going out of my way to do that. I’m just a human being making mistakes like everyone. But I am open about it. It’s quite a taboo subject as a man. Not a lot of people speak about it.'
Haydock-Wilson, meanwhile, has made the World Championships semi-final and earned a European bronze in the space of a few weeks.
'I’ve taken the scenic route, just taking each season as it comes and never being the person that people point to,' he said. 'But I’ve always had this stubborn, indomitable belief that I will somehow end up at the top one day.'
The 23-year-old from Berkshire will head home to embark on a PhD on making solar panels more dust-resistant.
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