British sprinter exudes quiet confidence going into rest of the season after breaking Linford Christie’s British 100m record
Zharnel Hughes is known for his love of flying, but after breaking the British 100m record last weekend in New York he still has his feet firmly on the ground.
The 27-year-old, a budding pilot in his spare time, clocked 9.83 to break Linford Christie’s 30-year-old national mark. Yet he kept his post-race celebrations low-key – with some Jamaican food and a stroll around Times Square – and is determined to take the rest of the season step by step as he tackles the UK Championships in Manchester next weekend, the Diamond League in London on July 23 and World Championships in Budapest in August.
He also says he will be content if his 9.83 remains his best time at the end of the summer, too. This doesn’t mean he isn’t ambitious, though. He has his sights set on winning medals.
“You don’t always see the fastest times coming out in the finals,” says Hughes, who is clearly not one for brash predictions. “You just need to be a part of the rumble and if you can be patient and be the most relaxed person in the field then anything is possible.”
The Anguillan-born Brit is coached by Glen Mills, the same man who guided Usain Bolt. Hughes sometimes bumps into Bolt as they use the same gym, but he hasn’t seen him since the UK record-breaking run. Neither has he had the chance to speak to the man whose record he beat.
“When Linford did it (9.87 in 1993), I wasn’t even in existence yet,” he says. “But it’s something that was always on my mind. I always wanted to break the British record eventually and I’m just happy to have done it.
“When I ran it in New York, I didn’t know what time I ran until I turned around and saw the clock. I just knew I had executed a good race. There’s a lot still to fix. It felt fast but I didn’t know I broke the record. Looking back at old clips of Linford back in his days is something I look at.”
Zharnel Hughes (Getty)
Despite winning the European 200m title in 2022, Hughes says he has attacked this season with renewed hunger after a slightly disappointing year. “Last season it made me a bit more hungry,” he explains. “I got back and I didn’t want to do any vacation. I just wanted to get back into work. I only took two weeks off from the season just to spend a little time with the family. And it was back to work.
“Coach Mills can be hard at times. But he’s honestly one of the most genuine, down to earth people you’ll ever come across and he wants the best for all of his athletes and I think I’m just happy to be coming to my full potential now with his guidance.”
Hughes believes there is room for improvement too. “We haven’t really started much speed work as yet but this is just speed endurance I’m running off and I’m pretty sure come late July and early August Coach Mills will start to sharpen up all the bits that need to be sharpened.”
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