In a moment of pure drama and bizarre administrative error, British sprint sensation Amy Hunt clinched a bronze medal in the women's 200m at the World Athletics Championships—only to be handed a piece of carved wood instead of the coveted prize.
The 21-year-old athlete powered through to a time of 22.34 seconds in Budapest, securing her place on the podium behind champion American sprinter Melissa Jefferson. However, the celebration was tinged with confusion when organisers presented Hunt and her fellow medallists with unfinished wooden blocks during the ceremony, a placeholder for the actual medals which were not yet ready.
A Historic Performance Overshadowed
Amy Hunt's performance itself was a landmark achievement, marking her first major senior international medal. Her composure and speed on the global stage signal a promising future for UK Athletics. Yet, the moment was instantly immortalised for the wrong reasons as photographers captured the athletes' bemused expressions while holding their rustic, albeit symbolic, awards.
World Athletics Responds
The sporting world quickly took to social media, with fans and commentators expressing a mixture of amusement and disbelief. World Athletics later issued a statement clarifying the situation, attributing the delay to the late finish of the session. They confirmed that all medallists will receive their correct, gold-plated medals in due course.
For Hunt, the unusual episode adds a unique and unforgettable story to the hardware she will eventually take home—a bronze medal with a tale as hard as the wood she first held.
