Matthew Hudson-Smith Narrowly Misses 400m Gold at Paris 2024

Matthew Hudson-Smith of Great Britain narrowly missed out on Olympic 400m gold at Paris 2024, finishing just 0.04 seconds behind American Quincy Hall in a dramatic race. Hudson-Smith, who had set a new European record of 43.44 seconds was overtaken by Hall in the final moments, who clocked a personal best of 43.40 seconds to claim victory. This silver medal marked Hudson-Smith’s third consecutive global podium finish, following his bronze at the 2022 World Championships and silver in 2023.

Despite the disappointment, Hudson-Smith remains optimistic, believing his time for gold will come. The 29-year-old from Wolverhampton had been the favorite for gold, being the fastest man in the world in 2024. A win would have made him the first British male Olympic 400m champion since Eric Liddell in 1924. Although he fell short, Hudson-Smith’s performance was remarkable, especially considering his challenging journey. Only three years ago, he faced physical, mental, and financial struggles.

Injuries sidelined him from the Tokyo Olympics and left him in significant debt. Hudson-Smith’s resurgence began with a bronze at the 2022 World Championships, followed by a silver in 2023, despite battling Achilles tendonitis. His form in 2024 had been promising, setting new European records leading up to the Olympics. Though he couldn’t hold off Hall’s late surge, Matthew Hudson-Smith remains determined and confident that his gold medal moment is still ahead.

The race also saw Zambian 21-year-old Muzala Samukonga take bronze, with five athletes finishing under 44 seconds, marking a historic moment in 400m competition.