Hodgkinson Triumphs in European Title Defense Despite Battling Illness.

Keely Hodgkinson successfully defended her European 800m title with a commanding win despite being ill. On the final night in Rome, Great Britain also secured gold in the women's 4x100m relay.

Keely Hodgkinson, 22, led the entire race and held off her competitors to win the European 800m title in 1:58.65. 

Despite falling ill the day before, the Olympic and two-time world silver medallist persevered. "Sometimes you’ve just got to find a way to win," Hodgkinson told BBC Sport. "I wanted a good time today, but I'm happy with the win. I would have been disappointed if I didn’t try."

In a golden end to the six-day championships for Team GB, the women's 4x100m relay team, featuring Dina Asher-Smith, Desiree Henry, Amy Hunt, and Daryll Neita, also claimed victory. 

Led by 100m champion Asher-Smith and anchored by 200m silver medallist Neita, they won in 41.91 seconds, beating France and the Netherlands.

Asher-Smith remarked, "That felt amazing. We're definitely trying new things before the Olympic Games, aiming to excel in Paris." Neita added, "Ending the championships with a gold medal alongside these amazing ladies is incredible. It’s an electric feeling and gives us confidence heading into Paris."

Those golds helped the British team finish third in the medal table, with four golds and 13 medals in total, as hosts Italy topped the final standings ahead of France.

Also at the Stadio Olimpico on Wednesday, there were golds for Sweden's pole vault world record-holder Armand Duplantis and Norway's Jakob Ingebrigtsen, as Italy's Lamont Marcell Jacobs and Dutch star Femke Bol shone for their relay teams.