Ignite: A European Athletics Series HWY61

This is Dina Asher-Smith’s story. In her words.

When the continent's elite athletes arrived at the European Championships in Berlin in 2018, they would have been hoping for personal success that would catapult their careers to new heights.

But what we saw instead was something on a whole other level as Berlin became a Championships for the ages. The likes of Mondo Duplantis and Jakob Ingebrigtsen announced themselves to the world with gold-medal winning performances that are still spoken about today.

And so too did Great Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith, who completed a hat-trick of golds in the 100 metre, 200 metre and 4x1 relay.

It was Dina’s moment and now she’s back, this time in Rome attempting to reclaim her European crown as the dominant sprinter on the continent.

She's faced many challenges since Berlin, so what does Roma 2024 hold for her?
 
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Ignite is a HWY61 production for European Athletics
Written by: Peter Sanderson and Garry Hayes
Produced by: Garry Hayes
Series mix: Teyler Hayes

Our series music is released under license

For tickets to the Roma 2024 European Athletics Championships, visit https://roma2024.vivaticket.it/

It's been six years since Armand Duplantis - Mondo to his family, friends and adoring fans - burst onto the scene to take pole vault gold at the European Championships in Berlin.

He was just 18 and the world of athletics was blown away by this unassuming teenager who not only took the field by storm that unforgettable night, but has since gone onto to define his sport and send all records before him tumbling.

Mondo has now broken the pole vault world record an incredible eight times, his most recent record-breaking performance coming in China in April this year. For context, the great Sergey Bubka's record of 6m 14cm has stood since 1994 before Mondo come of age to scale heights previously seen as impossible.

Mondo's latest world record is 6m 24, out jumping Bubka by 10cm. He is a sensation and now another European gold in Rome awaits Mondo before he heads to Paris to defend his Olympic title.

This is Mondo's story. In his words.

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Ignite is a HWY61 production for European Athletics
Written by: Peter Sanderson and Garry Hayes
Produced by: Garry Hayes
Series mix: Teyler Hayes

Our series music is released under license

For tickets to the Roma 2024 European Athletics Championships, visit https://roma2024.vivaticket.it/

She arrived at Munich 2022 as a dominant force rising through the European ranks, but still in search of a first major crown on the continent. Not every fan of athletics would've known her, yet come the end of the European championships, Yaroslava Mahuchikh made sure she was a known personality on the circuit as she claimed high jump gold.

Fast forward to Roma 2024 and the Ukraine star is the athlete her rivals all want to beat. They have her in their sights, but as she reveals in this open and personal account of her story to high jump domination, Yaroslava's unique approach ensures she's only ever three steps from glory.

This is Yaroslava's story. In her words.

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Ignite is a HWY61 production for European Athletics
Written by: Peter Sanderson and Garry Hayes
Produced by: Garry Hayes
Series mix: Teyler Hayes

Our series music is released under license

For tickets to the Roma 2024 European Athletics Championships, visit https://roma2024.vivaticket.it/

Norwegian track sensation Jakob Ingebrigtsen has a love affair with the European Championships. It was six years ago in Berlin when he annoucned himself to the world when, aged just 17, he shocked the field to take 1500m and 5000m gold.

Since then he's added Olympic gold to his record and defended his European titles in Munich in 2022. But it hasn't mean Ingebrigtsen has avoided challenges from a British team determined to match him stride for stride. That culminated in back-to-back defeats at the World Championships as Jake Wightman and Josh Kerr did just enough to squeeze him into second in 2022 and 2023.

But as he heads into Rome, Ingebrigtsen says he is laser focused on completing a "threepeat" to ensure he cements his legacy on the European track. Can he do it?

This is Jakob's story. In his words.

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Ignite is a HWY61 production for European Athletics
Written by: Peter Sanderson and Garry Hayes
Produced by: Garry Hayes
Series mix: Teyler Hayes

Our series music is released under license

For tickets to the Roma 2024 European Athletics Championships, visit https://roma2024.vivaticket.it/

He's one of the stars of Great Britain's sprint team, but Zharnel Hughes knows the challenges that face any elite athlete.

From the pain of Amsterdam 2016 when injury impacted his competitive spirit, to bouncing back to be crowned Euroepan champion for the 100 metres in Berlin 2018, Hughes is a man full of character and endeavour.

His success has been defined by effort and application, utilising a friendship with sprint legend Usain Bolt to drive him to glory. And he he has manifested it all, so what is he conjuring up for the Roma 2024 European Athletics Championships?

This is Zharnel's story. In his words.

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Ignite is a HWY61 production for European Athletics
Written by: Peter Sanderson and Garry Hayes
Produced by: Garry Hayes
Series mix: Teyler Hayes

Our series music is released under license

For tickets to the Roma 2024 European Athletics Championships, visit https://roma2024.vivaticket.it/

For every elite athlete, there's one rival they must all overcome: their own self-doubt.

And Dutch 400-metre sensastion Femke Bol is no different, despite her dominance on the track. Bol has broken world records and stunned those competing against her, but to do it all she needed to defeat those inner thoughts that made her question if she had the ability to do it at all.

How does one do that? Where does the courage come from? And how to keep overcoming it to remain at the top of your sport?

This is Femke's story. In her words.

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Ignite is a HWY61 production for European Athletics
Written by: Peter Sanderson and Garry Hayes
Produced by: Garry Hayes
Series mix: Teyler Hayes

Our series music is released under license

For tickets to the Roma 2024 European Athletics Championships, visit https://roma2024.vivaticket.it/