Fingers began to hover over the keyboard. Introductions were being crafted, references to history were made. “Matt Hudson‑Smith last night became the first Briton since Eric Liddell in 1924 to win…” And then Quincy Hall appeared as if sent from the heavens, prompting everyone to hit the delete key.
Hall is recognized as a closer. However, with only 50 metres to go in the Olympic men’s 400m final, the 26-year-old American seemed too far behind. Hudson-Smith was a good five or six metres ahead, the gold medal within reach. But then came the devastating blow.
In an instant, the Briton’s legs began to slow down. At the same time, Hall’s long, powerful strides surged forward with urgency. Just a metre from the finish, he caught up to Hudson-Smith, clinching the victory with a personal best of 43.40 seconds.
Hudson-Smith had to settle for a silver medal and a European best of 43.44 seconds, while Zambia’s Muzala Samukonga took the bronze with a time of 43.74. Initially, however, he struggled to find a silver lining. Staring at the screen, he kept repeating one word: “Damn.”
The hardest part? Hudson-Smith didn’t realize Hall was closing in on him. “I thought I had cleared the field,” he remarked. “But I kept trying to speed up, knowing someone was coming. I just didn’t know who. I was attempting to run through the finish. But he got me.”
Hall, who celebrated by making snow angels, stated, “I was just thinking: ‘Keep driving. Get home, sir.’ I have lost two brothers and have two daughters, one seven and the other two. So, when I hit the track, I have plenty of reasons to run hard.”
Hudson-Smith aspired to replicate Liddell’s tale, immortalized in the Oscar-winning 1981 film Chariots of Fire. The official account of the 1924 Olympic 400m final noted that Liddell was once six to eight metres ahead before winning “comfortably by a good three metres.” At one point, Hudson-Smith mirrored that lead but couldn’t quite finish the race.
Nevertheless, it was an incredible night for Hudson-Smith, whose life resembles a mixture of Sliding Doors and Rocky Balboa. As a teenager in 2014, he was preparing to leave his job at Asda for a stint in the army when he received an unexpected invitation to the Glasgow Diamond League after someone withdrew last minute. He astonished everyone by running a time of 44.97, nearly a second faster than his personal best.
That phone call led him to inform Asda that he wouldn’t be returning, paving the way for wins at both European and Commonwealth gold medals. Nonetheless, Hudson-Smith’s career faced significant challenges due to injuries and mental health struggles that could have defeated a lesser athlete.
In 2019, he suffered a hamstring tear and an Achilles injury. In 2020, he incurred large medical bills in the U.S., leading to worsening mental health. By 2021, he contemplated suicide. His comeback story became even more extraordinary. “Last year, I faced an Achilles issue,” he shared. “I had mental health challenges entering 2022. This year is the first time I’ve had a season free of those issues, and the results reflect that.
“I am not angry or upset. I thought, ‘Oh well, it’s life in the end.’ There’s always one winner. He was the better man tonight, he surged at the right moment, and I can’t complain. I achieved the fifth-fastest time overall. I’ve always said that if anyone wants to win, they have to take it from me, and he did.”
“Everyone is aware of the tough journey I’ve been on. There have been incredible highs and significant lows. Such is sport; it’s a wild ride. They know what lies ahead, and the world does too.”
For the past two years, the 29-year-old from Wolverhampton has been inching closer to the top of the podium, beginning with a world championship bronze in 2022, followed by a world silver in 2023 in Budapest, despite battling an Achilles problem.
During the winter, he began serious gym training for the first time and was rewarded by breaking the 44-second barrier last month and achieving another personal best here. “Honestly, sometimes the journey proves more significant than the outcome, and this has been an incredible journey,” he noted. “I’m just thankful. I walked away with an Olympic silver. Very few people can say that. I’ve been the runner-up twice now, but this is just the beginning.”
He expressed that the emotional moment during the lap of honor was overwhelming. “I spotted my family and was completely taken aback; I didn’t even know they were here. It was quite a surprise. My parents usually don’t watch because they dislike it, just as I hate them watching me.”
Hudson-Smith confidently stated that he believes he can achieve an even faster time, suggesting that potentially Wayde van Niekerk’s world record of 43.03 seconds from 2016 could be achievable with continued improvement.
“I saw people say that I overexerted myself in the semis,” he remarked. “But I knew I could better that time. I also realized it didn’t drain as much from me as I expected. I will keep building on this. I’m determined to shock the world; it’s only a matter of time.” Bring on LA.
