"It's a West Midlands thing!" - Olympic champion backing humble Matt Hudson-Smith

Wolverhampton-born Hudson-Smith enjoyed a stellar 2024 outdoor season, setting a new 400m European record of 43.44seconds to clinch silver at the Olympic Games in Paris while also posting the fourth fastest 4x400m relay split in history to anchor Team GB to bronze at the Stade de France.

Paired with world silver in 2023 and an incredible four European titles spanning from Zurich 2014 to Munich 2022, Hudson-Smith is a consistent performer at the top of the international circuit.

Former Birchfield Harrier Lewis-Francis was there at the start of Hudson-Smith’s journey and believes his level-headed approach has carried him to the top.

"I trained a little bit with Matt myself and the way he trains and conducts himself is amazing," he said. "What he has achieved is not just inspiring but it is also good for the next generation of young athletes to believe that they can achieve the same levels that he has.

"He is just a normal guy, very humble, and what he has done for the sport is amazing, I'm very proud of him.

"It's a Birmingham thing and a West Midlands thing. We like to stay humble and get the job done at the same time."

Lewis-Francis, 42, was part of the iconic British team that soared to 4x100m relay gold at Athens 2004, famously holding off former Olympic champion and world record holder Maurice Greene on the anchor leg and helping the British quartet to victory in a time of 38.07 seconds.

He was nicknamed ‘Darlaston Dart’ during his sprinting days and, reflecting on his roots in the region, said: "I was actually born and raised in Smethwick and then my mum moved to the Black Country to Darlaston which is where my athletic career picked up a bit.

"The local press just started to call me the Darlaston Dart so I just embraced it because I might as well.

"It was a very important time in my life which is defined by that name."

Birmingham will return to the sporting spotlight next summer as the Alexander Stadium hosts the 2026 European Athletics Championships, with Friday marking 500 days to go.

It will mark the first time the Europeans have ever been hosted in the UK and will also be the first standalone outdoor athletics event hosted in Britain since the 2017 World Athletics Championships in London.

With his home city at the forefront of what is set to be a spectacle of athletics action, and as Hudson-Smith goes on the hunt for his fifth European title, Lewis-Francis hopes Birmingham 2026 can provide a platform for the surrounding community to be inspired just like he once was.

"This is amazing, not just for the sport but the surrounding area to encourage people to get involved and see what sport can do for your life," he said.

"When I was a young athlete, I came down to Alexander Stadium and watched the likes of Derek Redmond, Denise Lewis, Du'aine Ladejo train and it made me think that I could do that.

"I'm a firm believer of seeing is believing and Birmingham can do that."

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