ZHARNEL HUGHES had a dream he would become the fastest Brit in history — and here is proof!
Linford Christie’s 100 metres national record of 9.87secs — which was set in Stuttgart in 1993 — was smashed on Saturday night in Manhattan.
Hughes, 27, produced a stunning run of 9.83secs that propelled him to the top of the record books.
When Hughes woke up that morning, he felt compelled to write in his journal he was going to do something special later that evening in the Big Apple.
SunSport has been shown a photo of his Saturday June 24 diary entry. It reads: “Competition day in New York. I’m going to run 9.83. Slowest 9.89-9.91. HAVE FAITH.
“I am prepared and I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me!! Watch God!!!”
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Hughes said: “I saw 9.83 in my dreams. I wasn’t in a race, I just remember seeing the number.
“So, I got up, said my prayers, and started writing in the book. I just put it down: I’ll run 9.83 today.
“You could see the whole reaction on my face when I saw the clock. I actually wrote that time in my book and now I’m seeing it right now on the board. It’s a manifestation, it’s the power of belief, the trust in God that everything will align when the time is right.
“It was surreal to see the British record go down. It’s crazy to think it was set 30 years ago. It’s an achievement of the hard work I’ve put in. I’m proud of myself.”
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Hughes, whose time is a world lead for 2023, had been told by his coach, Usain Bolt’s ex-guru Glen Mills, that he was in blistering form.
The qualified pilot, whose previous best was 9.91, said: “My coach had been singing it to me in training. ‘It’s there, it’s there, Zharnel has a great performance in him’.
“He was laughing on the phone when I called him. ‘Captain Hughes, we did it’.
“He’s happy, I’m happy. My mum is happy and crying a lot. I’ve made her proud.
He has been through trials and tribulations. At the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, he was axed from the men’s 100m final for a false start.
Then his silver medal in the 4x100m relay was stripped when team-mate CJ Ujah failed a drugs test.
Hughes said: “I’ve been through a lot of pain. I’m happy I can see the light.”
He will head to the World Athletics Championships in Budapest in August as a favourite for the 100m gold.
Celebrations post-race were relatively low-key as he noshed on Jamaican fried chicken, rice, peas, macaroni and cheese with his pals and agent.
He had begun the day with a Subway sandwich for breakfast because there was no food available at his hotel.
What makes this mark so special is the fact he has been through his fair share of trials and tribulations.
At the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, he was axed from the men’s 100m final for a false start and then his silver medal in the 4x100m relay was stripped when teammate CJ Ujah failed a drugs test.
Hughes said: “God gives the toughest battles to the strongest soldiers. I strongly believe that I’m one of those guys. I have been through it.
“I’ve been through a lot of pain man that you don’t even know.
“I remember reading the comments at the time, and it was easy to get caught up with it, but I locked off from the rest of the world and dug deep.
“The darkest part of my journey has helped me to be where I am today. I’m so grateful for it. It wasn’t easy but I’m happy I can see the light.”
Hughes, the reigning European 200m champion, will be next seen in the UK doubling-up in the sprints at next month’s GB trials in Manchester.
Assuming he remains fit and injury-free, he will head to the World Athletics Championships in Budapest in two months as one of the favourites for the 100m gold medal.
Technical improvements can be made to his start and if that happens come August, he will only get quicker.
Hughes added: “I don’t have any more predictions in my head. But we’ll try to get a lot faster. It’s great to be mentioned among the greatest.
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“The sky’s the limit, anything is possible, if you believe in yourself and continue to trust the process.
“I won’t get caught up in the hype of breaking the record. The job isn’t fully completely yet. I can only get better.”
Source: Athletics - thesun.co.uk
