Hughes – British speed with Jamaican seasoning

The last time a British sprinter won a world 100 metres title, it came with a little Jamaican seasoning. History may repeat itself as Zharnel Hughes is in for Budapest and the 19th World Championships as world number one in the 100m.

The Anguilla native has a Jamaican mother and has lived here since 2013. Since then, he has won European titles in both the 100m and 200m. Now Hughes stands on the threshold of something bigger. In New York on June 24, he dashed to a British record 9.83 seconds. That cut 0.04 off the mark Jamaican-born Linford Christie clocked to win the 1993 World Championships gold medal, the last gold won by a Briton in the 100m.

Amazed by his own speed, Hughes rejoiced, “When I looked at the clock and saw 9.83 – I don’t know if you saw my reaction – but I was like ‘What just happened there’!”

He has lived here for a decade, all of which he has spent in the care of the sprint technicians of the Racers Track Club led by Bolt’s former coach, Glen Mills.

PHILOSOPHY

Mills is the Berry Gordy of sprinting. Before Hughes arrived in Jamaica, this hitmaker of speed had already coached Kim Collins, Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake to world 100m titles and in 2012, a Mills-coached trio of Bolt, Blake and Warren Weir swept the medals in the 200m at the London Olympics. His philosophy of top speed relaxation helped them to become champions. Now it is helping Hughes.

He may even be faster in Budapest. “We haven’t started speed work yet, so this is just raw speed and endurance,” he revealed in New York.

Now 27, Hughes blotted his copybook in the 2021 Olympic 100m final with a false start. In a meet in Kingston on March 25, he was ejected for another false start. That’s something he has to manage as much as he has to be wary of his rivals. Reigning champion Fred Kerley has only lost once in four 100m races this season and that was to 2018 Commonwealth champion Akani Simbine of South Africa.

The 2022 Commonwealth champion is Kenyan Ferdinand Omanyala who famously arrived late for last year’s World Championships in the USA due to visa delays. Months ago, he told Pulse Sports, “My sights are set on winning the World Championships, the Diamond League, and smashing the African Record.” He took control of the record in 2021, at 9.77 seconds in the high altitude of Nairobi.

Hughes will also have to cover his Racers Track Club training partner Oblique Seville. Fourth last year and flying in 2023, the young Jamaican hit the skids with a hamstring injury in June. When he returned, he booked himself a ticket to Budapest with a third-place finish at the Jamaican Nationals. Only Mills, Hughes and the Racers crew know how fast Seville has become since the Nationals.

He has also set a British 200m record of 19.73 seconds. On that day in London, he was well beaten by two-time world champion Noah Lyles and two-time World under-20 100m champion Letsile Tebogo of the USA and Botswana, respectively.

Both are in the Budapest 100m field.

The consistent Kerley figures to be his main obstacle but if Hughes wins, break out the seasoning.

Hubert Lawrence has made notes at trackside since 1980.