Sprinter Hudson-Smith becomes Wolverhampton mayor for a day

Champion sprinter Matt Hudson-Smith has experienced what he calls an "insane" day after being handed Wolverhampton's ceremonial mayoral chain of office for 24 hours, fulfilling a promise made after a joking remark he made following a historic victory.

In August, Hudson-Smith won 400m gold at the European Championships in Birmingham in front of a home crowd. Celebrating the win, he jokingly said he would run for mayor of Birmingham and Wolverhampton.

Stephen Simkins, leader of Wolverhampton City Council, responded to the comment by saying he was confident he could arrange for Hudson-Smith to hold the civic chains for a day. That promise has now been fulfilled, with the 31-year-old formally receiving the ceremonial mayoral role.

Hudson-Smith acknowledged that his original comment had been made somewhat tongue-in-cheek, but said he was grateful for the unusual opportunity and had enjoyed learning about Wolverhampton's history during the role. He described the experience as very different from what he expected, but one he thoroughly enjoyed.

His August victory secured his place in the record books, making him the joint-most decorated man in European Championships history. He achieved the win running past a temporary stand at Birmingham's Alexander Stadium that had been named in his honour — the same stadium where he trained as a young athlete.

Born and raised in Wolverhampton, Hudson-Smith said representing his home city continues to matter deeply to him despite his international success. He noted that Wolverhampton is a small city, and that his achievements show others from there that similar success is possible for them too.