Matthew Hudson-Smith lost the 400m final by 0.04 seconds to America’s Quincy Hall, and he has now revealed what he is working on in training to amend that defeat.
British 400m star Matthew Hudson-Smith has opened up about the changes he’s making in training to overcome the heartbreak of his near-miss at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Hudson-Smith narrowly missed out on gold, losing by just 0.04 seconds to America’s Quincy Hall in a dramatic final stretch.
Despite setting a new European record with a blazing time of 43.44 seconds, Hudson-Smith’s silver medal marked an agonizing moment, denying him what would have been Britain’s first global men’s 400m title in a century.
The 29-year-old executed a flawless race for most of the final but faltered in the closing meters as Hall’s late surge secured the gold. Visibly emotional after the race, Hudson-Smith broke down in tears, later finding solace in the stands with his mother, Cheryl, who comforted him.
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Reflecting on the race, Hudson-Smith identified a key weakness: maintaining his speed endurance in the final moments. He’s now focusing his training on addressing this gap as he sets his sights on redemption at the upcoming World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.
Hudson-Smith revealed that his training regimen has become more technical, emphasizing mechanics, endurance, and mental toughness.
“It’s more about mechanics and just holding form,” he explained to Runnnerspace in a recent interview. “I’m naturally strong and have gotten a lot quicker, but one of my issues is carrying that speed and holding it.”
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He admitted that staying disciplined during training hasn’t always been easy.
“Sometimes I’ll go over in the run, and it’ll get [coach] Gary angry because it’s a lot easier to run faster than slower,” Hudson-Smith shared. “Now, it’s about focusing on time—running the actual time and being okay with the pain rather than just running for the sake of it. It’s about staying in lactic longer and embracing it.”
Interestingly, Hudson-Smith disclosed that he doesn’t feel the effects of lactic acid during or immediately after races.
“I’ll be honest, I don’t really feel lactic per se during the run or right after a competition. It’s usually one or two days later that I start feeling it,” he said.
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However, he acknowledged that bad race positions can be his undoing.
“If I get into a bad position during a race, that’s when it’s over. I’ve got to lock in my hips and focus on holding the right position for as long as possible. I can run for days, but once my position falls apart, that’s when things go wrong.”
Hudson-Smith’s quest for gold continues, fueled by the lessons learned from his Olympic heartbreak. With a renewed focus on endurance, form, and race-day tactics, he’s determined to rewrite his story in Tokyo.
“Staying locked in and holding my position—that’s the key,” he said.
