Zharnel Hughes has created historical past by breaking Linford Christie’s long-standing UK 100m of 9.87 with a blistering 9.83 (+1.3) on the USATF NYC Grand Prix on Saturday (June 24).
Outdoors athletics, Hughes is a professional pilot and right here in New York he flew down the observe after which actually took off within the remaining levels as he drew away from a world-class area.
Racing in the identical Icahn Stadium in Manhattan the place Usain Bolt set his first world 100m document of 9.72 a number of weeks earlier than the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Hughes charged out of the blocks from lane six however discovered himself behind Ackeem Blake of Jamaica, plus Christian Coleman and Brandon Carnes of the USA at 30m though he drew stage with Blake and Coleman at 60m.
At that time Hughes sprouted wings and surged clear to win by a tenth of a second from Blake with Coleman, the 2019 world champion, fading to 3rd in 10.02.
Hughes’ time initially flashed up as 9.84 however was shortly corrected to 9.83 as he continued operating across the bend celebrating and pointing his finger to the air triumphantly earlier than turning round to have a look at the clock. The enjoyment of victory was then overtaken by a glance of astonishment as he realised he’d improved his PB from 9.91 and set a British document in addition.
Zharnel Hughes celebrates (Getty)
In a superb few days for British sprinting, Hughes’ run got here on the finish of per week that noticed Eugene Amo-Dadzie get pleasure from a breakthrough run of 9.93 in Austria, whereas 16-year-old Teddy Wilson broke Mark Lewis-Francis’s long-standing UK under-17 document with 10.26 in Germany.
“I’m unsure many individuals anticipated this, however persistence is the phrase,” Hughes mentioned. “It’s wonderful and one thing I’ve been working towards for some time.”
After what he felt have been some underpar leads to latest seasons, he mentioned: “I dug deep and I pulled myself out of a darkish house. I relaxed extra, put the work in, trusted myself and trusted my velocity.”
Christie’s British document was set in August 1993 – a few years earlier than Hughes was even born – when he gained the world title in Stuttgart forward of Individuals Andre Cason, Dennis Mitchell and Carl Lewis. His 9.87 was a European document on the time and, aged 33, it got here one 12 months after he gained the Olympic 100m title in Barcelona.
Hughes was born in Anguilla however has competed for Britain for plenty of years and his profession highlights embody successful European 100m gold in 2018 and 200m gold in 2022.
Coached by Glen Mills in Jamaica – the identical man who guided Bolt – he’s additionally an everyday within the GB dash relay workforce and a member of Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers within the UK. “Coach Mills is a superb coach,” says Hughes. “He coached the quickest man on the earth and he has an eye fixed for error and can critique the whole lot he sees.”
Barely higher referred to as a 200m runner, in this type of kind he certainly has a superb likelihood this summer season of breaking one other long-time British document – the 19.94 mark set by John Regis, additionally on the 1993 World Championships in Stuttgart.
The European 100m document of 9.80 held by Olympic champion Marcel Jacobs of Italy can be doubtlessly inside attain.
Discover out extra about Hughes in our ‘Ask the Athlete‘ interview from 2021 right here.
UK all-time males’s 100m9.83 (1.3) Zharnel Hughes, New York 20239.87 (0.3) Linford Christie, Stuttgart 19939.91 (1.1) James Dasaolu, Birmingham 20139.93 (-1.2) Reece Prescod, Ostrava 20229.93 (0.1) Eugene Amo-Dadzie, Graz 20239.96 (1.4) CJ Ujah, Hengelo 20149.96 (2.0) Joel Fearon, Bedford 20169.97 (0.2) Dwain Chambers, Seville 19999.97 (2.0) Adam Gemili, Birmingham 20159.98 (0.4) Jason Gardener, Lausanne 19999.99 (0.6) Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake, Columbia 2017
Noah Lyles (Getty)
Elsewhere at this Continental Tour Gold assembly, Noah Lyles gained the boys’s 200m in 19.83 (0.8) to tie with Usain Bolt for essentially the most sub-20 instances in historical past (34 races).
Athing Mu opened her season with a snug victory over 800m in 1:58.73, whereas Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone ran a managed flat 400m to beat fellow American Gabby Thomas in a PB of 49.51.
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