Zharnel Hughes sprinted his way into the record books on Saturday afternoon.
He lined up against a talented field at the New York Grand Prix in the men’s 100m. He took the win against a strong field that included Christian Coleman and Akeem Blake, running 9.83 seconds in the event. His time not only gave him the win, but it set the British record in the event that was previously held by Linford Christie.
“It feels amazing, I’m very grateful,” he said in a post-race interview. “This is something I’ve been working towards. I’m pretty sure people counted me out because I had a down season last year as well. 2021 was a nightmare too. Those things made me dig deep, man. It made me dig deep, pull myself out of the dark space and just pray more, relax more, put the work in, trust myself and trust my speed.”
Akeem Blake and Christian Coleman were ahead of Hughes for the first 50-60 meters of the race. But Hughes used an explosive last 40 meters to charge ahead and finish with the record-breaking win.
Hughes trains in Jamaica with legendary coach Glen Mills. Mills coached the fastest man in history, Usain Bolt.
