Matthew Hudson-Smith wished there were more people there to witness his 400m success at the European Athletics Championships but has urged people not to “bash” the sport and uplift it instead.
The 31-year-old from Wolverhampton crossed the finish line with a time of 44.17 seconds which saw him pick up his third European title just 30 minutes away from where he lives.
Hudson-Smith ran past the temporary stand named in his honour on his way to European success but there were plenty of empty seats in that stand and across the stadium, which has been a theme throughout the first three days of the competition.
The event at the Alexander Stadium has been criticised due to high ticket prices in certain areas of the stadium and for the expensive food and drink options available.
Hudson-Smith, who grew up running on the track, said the sport needs to do more to promote it, including himself and other athletes.
After winning gold, Hudson-Smith said: “Was it the Super Cup today? Like Birmingham (Aston Villa) against PSG? It’s on us as a sport to promote it you know. At the end of the day, we need to promote the sport with the times so people come.
“Could there have been more? Yes. But I’m not going to complain. On the TV we are very negative – actually really, really negative – we need to be more positive and speak about what we can do and not just bash.
“We can’t keep bashing the sport, we need to uplift the sport and athletes. It’s very hard to step onto the track and perform. At the end of the day, there is always going to be one winner, it’s life.”
There were only 14,098 fans in attendance to watch the Olympic silver medallist grab his European hat-trick in a 23,000 capacity stadium, but organisers believe ticket sales will increase as the week goes on.
European Athletics are confident the event will deliver a special “special atmosphere” but urged more people to buy tickets, which cost up to £150 for an evening session.
Hudson-Smith wants more positivity to bring eyes onto the sport, which could potentially see crowds and participation grow.
He added: “We have to be more positive, we have to promote it in a way that’s more modern with the times, use social media, be uplifting with the athletes.
“There are a lot of talented people in the UK, especially Birmingham. In Birmingham, it is a very hard sport. I know everyone wants to be a footballer, I wanted to be a footballer myself and I transitioned to track.
“It’s about talent ID, sports in school. Its not just on track but on the whole curriculum and everyone to improve and branch out and there might be someone out there that can be the next Romell Glave, Adam Gemili and bring the sport to new heights so it’s on everyone including myself.”