Alumnus Charlie Dobson clocked a stunning personal best of 44.38 seconds to claim silver in the men’s 400 metres to win a maiden major individual medal.

Dobson, who graduated with a first-class degree in aeronautical engineering, set a blistering pace throughout and was only bettered by Belgium’s Alexander Doom, who won gold in 44.15 seconds.

Speaking to BBC Sport after the event, Dobson said: “This is already far more than I expected this season to be honest…I would have been happy with one sub-45 to get the Olympic standard but this, on top of everything so far this season, is incredible.”

In the field, alumna Molly Caudery continued her meteoric rise in the women’s pole vault by winning bronze.

Caudery, who was crowned world indoor champion in Glasgow in March, recorded 4.73m as Switzerland’s Angelica Moser topped the podium with a jump of 4.78m. The Cornwall native will now turn her attention to Paris where she’ll be one of the favourites to win gold.

“It was a really great competition. I think the fact I’m a little disappointed, isn’t a bad thing,” Caudery told BBC Sport.

“I just got a bronze medal at the European Championships. If I had told myself that a year ago, I would’ve been absolutely over the moon. But I think I have a new expectation of myself. It was so close but I’m still so happy.”

Back on the track, alumnus Chris O’Donnell played a starring role in the mixed 4x400m relay as Ireland won their first European gold in almost 30 years.

O’Donnell – who spoke to Loughborough Sport back in 2020 about his sporting hopes – ran brilliantly as part of the team featuring compatriots Rhasidat Adeleke, Thomas Barr and Sharlene Mawdsley.

In an explosive race at the iconic Stadio Olimpico, Ireland finished 0.77 seconds ahead of Italy to clinch a first gold medal at the European Championships since 1998.

Speaking to RTE, O’Donnell said: “Unbelievable, everything we’ve dreamed of…when I started going into the blocks, I really felt I was doing it for the whole country.

“I wasn’t nervous, I was really excited because I’ve seen these guys next to me and the support we have in the stadium. It’s unbelievable, we just can’t get over it.”

Elsewhere, Loughborough College learner Daryll Neita had a Championship to remember by winning gold in the in 4x100m women’s relay and silver in the women’s 200m respectively.