Zharnel Hughes, a British sprinter, made headlines on Saturday at the New York Grand Prix with his outstanding performance in the 100m race. Hughes clocked a time of 9.83 seconds, which not only marked the best performance of the season but also broke the old UK record. The 27-year-old athlete expressed his disbelief and joy at achieving this feat, stating that it was a dream come true.
With a favorable wind of +1.3 m/s, Hughes surpassed his previous personal best of 9.91 seconds set in 2018. His time also established a new record for the United Kingdom, surpassing Linford Christie’s 9.87 seconds at the 1987 World Championships in Stuttgart. This remarkable achievement makes Hughes the second-fastest European in history over 100m, behind Italy’s Marcell Jacobs, who set a time of 9.80 seconds at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
Hughes, a double European champion in the 100m and 4x100m relay in 2018, showcased his exceptional form by defeating Jamaican Ackeem Blake (9.93) and American Christian Coleman (10.02) in the race. This victory comes as a boost for Hughes, who is now looking forward to the upcoming World Championships in Budapest, scheduled to take place from August 19 to 27. He expressed his belief that anything is possible for the rest of the season.
In another impressive performance at the New York Grand Prix, American Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone dominated the 400m race. The 23-year-old athlete, who is already a double Olympic champion in 2021 and a world champion in 2022 in the 400m hurdles, showcased her versatility by winning the 400m flat with a convincing time of 49.51 seconds. This time was even better than her performance in Paris two weeks ago, where she clocked 49.71 seconds.
McLaughlin-Levrone, who holds the world record in the 400m hurdles with a time of 50.68 seconds, now aims to challenge the lap record set by Marita Koch of East Germany (formerly known as the German Democratic Republic) in 1985, which stands at 47.60 seconds. Reflecting on her race in Paris, McLaughlin-Levrone mentioned that she started cautiously to ensure a better finish in the second half of the race. She emphasized that progress takes time and acknowledged the difficulty of determining pedaling cadence in flat races compared to hurdles.
The New York Grand Prix also witnessed other notable performances. American prodigy Athing Mu, who had not competed since her victory at the 2022 World Championships, made a successful comeback by winning the women’s 800m race with a time of 1:58.73. Noah Lyles, a crowd favorite, put on a show in the men’s 200m race, winning comfortably with a time of 19.83 seconds. In the women’s 100m hurdles, Keni Harrison, the second-fastest woman in the history of the discipline, achieved a top time of 12.29 seconds, although the wind conditions were deemed too favorable (+2.8m/s). In the men’s 110m hurdles, American Daniel Roberts emerged victorious with a time of 13.01 seconds, his best performance of the season.
Overall, the New York Grand Prix provided thrilling moments and showcased the exceptional talent of athletes like Zharnel Hughes and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone. Their performances serve as inspiration for athletes around the world, reminding them that dreams can become a reality with hard work and dedication.
What was the wind speed during Zharnel Hughes’ record-breaking 100m race at the New York Grand Prix?
British sprinter Zharnel Hughes stole the spotlight at the New York Grand Prix over the weekend with his exceptional performance in the 100m race. Hughes not only clocked a time of 9.83 seconds, making it the best performance of the season, but he also broke the old UK record. The 27-year-old athlete, filled with disbelief and joy, expressed that achieving this feat was a dream come true.
The conditions were in Hughes’ favor, with a favorable wind of +1.3 m/s. This enabled him to surpass his previous personal best of 9.91 seconds, set in 2018. Hughes’ time also established a new record for the United Kingdom, surpassing Linford Christie’s 9.87 seconds at the 1987 World Championships in Stuttgart. This remarkable achievement places Hughes as the second-fastest European in history over 100m, just behind Italy’s Marcell Jacobs, who set a time of 9.80 seconds at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
Hughes, who previously became a double European champion in the 100m and 4x100m relay in 2018, showcased his exceptional form at the New York Grand Prix by defeating Jamaican Ackeem Blake (9.93) and American Christian Coleman (10.02) in the race. With this victory under his belt, Hughes is now looking forward to the upcoming World Championships in Budapest, scheduled to take place from August 19 to 27. He firmly believes that anything is possible for the rest of the season.
In addition to Hughes’ outstanding performance, American Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone also impressed at the New York Grand Prix, dominating the 400m race. The 23-year-old athlete proved her prowess by showcasing her talent in this event.
Wow, Zharnel Hughes has raised the bar for British sprinting with an absolutely phenomenal 100m performance! Breaking the national record is no small feat, and his sensational speed is truly commendable. Exciting times for British athletics!
“Wow, what an incredible achievement by Zharnel Hughes! Breaking the British record in such a sensational performance is truly remarkable. Congratulations to him, and I can’t wait to see what he accomplishes next!”