Amy Hunt has hailed herself a “track goddess” after delivering the performance of her career to win silver in the 200 metres final at the World Athletics Championships — and revealed she felt her late grandfather was watching over her as she crossed the line.
The 23-year-old Briton produced a devastating finish in Thursday’s final to surge past her rivals and claim second place behind the USA’s Melissa Jefferson-Wooden.
For Hunt, who was once tipped by Vogue as one of the “faces to define the decade” after breaking the Under-18 world record in 2019, it was a moment that felt like vindication after years of injuries, illness and mental burnout that had threatened to derail her career entirely.
Speaking afterwards, Hunt admitted she drew inspiration from the memory of her grandfather John, who died earlier this year.
“I’m so proud of myself,” she said. “Moments before the race I thought about my grandad — I knew he was watching over me, I knew he was going to guide me.”
Hunt had been left chasing the pack after a slow opening 50 metres but refused to panic and powered through to secure her first major global medal.
“Maybe some karaoke tonight will help it sink in,” she joked, before adding with a smile: “‘Maneater’ by Hall & Oates — that was the vibe tonight: sexy and aggressive.”
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Amy Hunt was stunned after securing silver at the World Athletics Championships
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Her medal is Britain’s second of the Championships and caps a remarkable comeback for an athlete whose path has been anything but straightforward.
Just a year after her breakthrough, Hunt chose to study English Literature at Cambridge University, forcing her to juggle elite athletics with the pressures of academia.
She says the choice was deliberate, a message to young women that they can chase both education and sporting glory.
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“I’m so proud of myself for choosing the harder path,” she said.
“I could have picked an easier way out many times. I chose to go to Cambridge and get a degree partly to show other young girls that you don’t have to give up education.
“You can be an academic badass and a track goddess. I want to show you can do everything and anything you set your mind to — you can be the best at everything.”
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Amy Hunt previously studied at Cambridge University, where she was forced to balance her education with her sporting career
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The emotion of the moment caught up with her as soon as she saw her family in the stands.
“I haven’t stopped smiling or crying,” Hunt said. “As soon as I saw my mum, I burst into tears.”
Her stunning run has given the British team a fresh surge of momentum heading into the weekend, where more medals are expected.
Keely Hodgkinson eased into the 800m final as favourite, with training partner Georgia Hunter Bell also qualifying, while Katarina Johnson-Thompson sits in medal contention after the first day of the heptathlon.
Max Burgin will run in today’s men’s 800m final as a contender for the podium.
Amy Hunt poses with her silver medal at the World Athletics Championships
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Elsewhere on the track, Noah Lyles delivered a performance of historic proportions, matching Usain Bolt’s record of four consecutive 200m world titles with a lightning-fast 19.52 seconds, while Britain’s Zharnel Hughes produced a season-best 19.78sec to finish fifth.
How Saturday’s drama unfolds remains to be seen.