Amber Anning is chasing the one thing that has eluded her young career so far.
The 25-year-old, mid-sprinter is intent on capturing her first major outdoor title at this week’s 2026 European Athletics Championships.
Especially after having to bow out of the only other outdoor champion she prioritised – the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow last month – and watching from home due to a lingering hamstring injury.
Anning matter-of-factly stated that she’s leaving everything on the track in Birmingham, England, this week.
Despite her success in athletics – bronze in the 4x400m relay and 4x400m mixed at the 2024 Olympic Games and 4x400m relay in the 2023 World Athletics Championships – Anning still seeks gold at an outdoor championship.
So she relishes the opportunity being presented: To overcome this “plaguing” injury and potentially place in front of a home crowd.
“[It would mean] everything,” Anning said during a press conference on Friday, 7 August.
“I’ve been speaking about Europeans since last year. To go out there for my first outdoor title in front of a home crowd — that is like a dream come true. And then just to be able to back that up with a relay finish and to win that as well… There’s a lot of rivalry out there. It’s going to be a lot of fun out there. A big battle.
“It would have been my first Commonwealth Games, and I was really upset to miss it. But now the focus is on Europeans.
“Nothing was really going to stop me going to Europeans. So after that second one, I was just a bit like, ‘You know what? We’re going to do everything we can. It’s going to be a rough few weeks, but this is what I’m going to remind myself when I’m on the start line bidding for the European title.'”
read more: https://www.olympics.com/en/news/2026-european-athletics-championship-amber-anning-goes-into-birmingham-determined-to-capture-her-first-outdoor-title
