Matthew Hudson-Smith will line up for the men’s 400 metres at the 2025 Prefontaine Classic with more than just another Diamond League victory in mind.
For the British sprint star, Eugene’s Hayward Field is a venue woven into the very fabric of his career revival, the place where everything turned around.
The 2025 Prefontaine Classic boasts one of the most elite fields of the season, featuring 17 Olympic champions from Paris 2024 and 14 world record holders. Hudson-Smith will take on familiar rivals, including Olympic gold medallist Quincy Hall and bronze medallist Muzala Samukonga. But for the 29-year-old, this meet carries far deeper personal meaning.
A Career Reboot in Eugene
In 2022, after missing out on the delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Hudson-Smith made a crucial coaching change, partnering with respected sprint mentor Gary Evans.
The decision would prove transformative. That same year at the Prefontaine Classic, Hudson-Smith stormed to a British national record of 44.35 seconds, a performance that earned him a lucrative sponsorship deal with Puma.
Speaking ahead of this year’s meet, Hudson-Smith recalled the moment.
“Thanks for inviting me again, firstly. I think this is special to me because it kind of set the trajectory upwards for my career and revamped it. Getting a national record here, and now coming back full circle to compete is always special to me. I’m glad to be here, glad to compete against the best, and yeah, I’m excited.”
A Record-Breaking 2024 Season
Hudson-Smith has since established himself as one of the finest quarter-milers in history. He opened his 2024 season with a 200m personal best of 20.39 in Florida before representing Britain at the World Athletics Relays, helping the team to a sixth-place finish in the men’s 4×400m final.
His performances on the European circuit were electric. At the Bislett Games in Oslo, he broke his own European 400m record with a stunning 44.07-second run, then lowered it again at the London Diamond League in July, clocking a remarkable 43.74 seconds , the fastest 400m ever run on British soil.
The highlight of his season came at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where Hudson-Smith captured silver in the men’s 400m final with a personal best of 43.44 seconds, becoming the fifth-fastest man in history over the distance. In a nail-biting finish, he was edged out by Quincy Hall in the final 15 metres.
He added a bronze medal in the men’s 4×400m relay, delivering an astonishing 43.09-second split, the fourth-fastest relay split of all time.
Grand Slam Track Success
Hudson-Smith’s success extended beyond the Diamond League and Olympics. In October 2024, he signed up for Michael Johnson’s newly launched Grand Slam Track series.
At the opening meet in Kingston, Jamaica, he claimed victory in the 200m and finished second in the 400m, earning the competition’s first men’s long-sprints champion title and a $100,000 prize.
As he prepares for the 2025 Prefontaine Classic, Matthew Hudson-Smith is no longer the underdog chasing redemption. He returns as a European record-holder, Olympic medallist, and one of the fastest men in history over 400 metres.
