'Goddess of Track' Hunt, Surrounded by Armed Police Right After Winning Three Titles? "Worst Night in European Championships History" Triggered by Fake Access Passes

*This content was translated by AI.

A commotion over 'fake access passes' occurred at the European Athletics Championships held in Birmingham, UK, leaving thousands of athletes and spectators, including British track star Amy Hunt, a three-time champion, stranded.

The UK's 'The Sun' reported on the 16th (local time) that an emergency situation involving armed police erupted the previous night at Alexander Stadium, trapping Amy Hunt, other track athletes, and key officials inside the venue for several hours without allowing them to leave.

Known as the 'Queen of the Track,' Hunt became Britain's top star by winning three titles at this event, claiming victory in the 100m, 200m, and women's 4x100m relay. Running as the second leg in the relay final, she led a dominant victory, pulling ahead of second-place Switzerland by more than one second. With the mixed 4x100m relay scheduled for the final day of the competition, Hunt was on the verge of achieving a historic four-title sweep, a first in British track history.

However, the joy was short-lived. Around 8:15 p.m. the previous evening, a man in his 30s was caught acting suspiciously while holding an invalid access pass inside the stadium, causing the situation to escalate rapidly. Police deemed it an emergency where additional threats within the venue could not be ruled out and immediately deployed armed officers. Authorities completely blocked roads in the nearby Perry Barr area and suspended all transportation, including shuttle buses carrying athletes and spectators, for anti-terror and security searches.

As a result, Hunt, along with the British men's and women's relay championship teams and World Athletics CEO John Loughran, were among those trapped on-site. One track official waiting for a bus at 10:15 p.m. did not return to their accommodation until 12:45 a.m. The medal ceremony scheduled for that night for Hunt and others was also completely postponed.

West Midlands Police stated, "The man in his 30s has been arrested on suspicion of fraud and is under investigation; there was no immediate threat to the public." The Birmingham 2026 Organizing Committee also explained, "Transportation was temporarily suspended to complete essential security measures," noting that operations have since resumed.

However, spectators shivering in the cold outside the stadium, unaware of what had happened, protested fiercely. There were no proper announcements or control personnel on site.

Spectator Joan Ray criticized the situation, saying, "Mothers holding babies and wheelchair users were left unattended." She added, "They said buses would arrive at 9:50 p.m., but we didn't board until 11:15 p.m. It was a complete disaster with no guidance whatsoever." Her husband, Ian Ray, also pointed out, "Thousands of people were waiting in line, yet volunteers had vanished."

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*This content was translated by AI.