If 2021 was the nadir, then 2023 is shaping up to be the zenith for Zharnel Hughes.
This season, he is the fastest man on the planet, his 100metre time of 9.83sec set in New York last month eclipsing Linford Christie’s 30-year British record.
He also sealed the sprint double at the national championships, running through a torrential downpour with his eyes closed to win the 100m before clocking 19.77sec over 200m.
What happened in 2021 has played no small part in the turnaround, the dual disappointment of being disqualified in the 100m and then later having his 4x100m relay silver medal removed from him following teammate CJ Ujah’s positive drugs test.
“That was very difficult,” said Hughes looking back at the 100m. “It just felt like a dark space. The world just felt like as if it had stopped. Everything was in slow motion.
“The village was the hardest part. My room-mates were there, they hugged me and let me know everything was going to be okay. I don’t think I slept at all that night. It was just a nightmare.”
He recovered to play an integral role in the relay, only to later have that removed. He heard the news of Ujah’s positive test at a London train station, his initial reaction “no way”.
He recalled: “I was like, ‘This cannot be happening’ and then I eventually got a call that we were disqualified. I was distraught. It was very difficult to go through all that. I just wanted 2021 to go. This year is not my year.”
He was quick to forgive Ujah’s mistake, the double blow motivating him to work harder to get back to the top, including quitting his summer plans in 2022 to focus on training.
Now 2023 appears to be the antithesis to two years ago, and on Sunday he hopes to keep the good run going as he returns to London’s former Olympic stadium to run the 200m in front of his home crowd at the capital’s leg of the Diamond League.
Linford Christie and I have a very good relationship, so there’s no bad blood... he’s proud of me
Among his chief supporters has been Christie, with the pair meeting up for the first time since New York at the recent national championships in Manchester.
“Linford and I spoke at the trials and it was what I expected — very good vibes,” he said. “He and I have a very good relationship, so there’s no bad blood. He’s proud of me.”
Christie has helped when the sprinter has been in the UK without his coach, passing on pointers on the track as well as seeking out Caribbean restaurants for him to eat in while in the capital.
Having yet to peak this season, Hughes argues he can get quicker over both sprint distances.
As for what is possible and daring to dream of the sprint double in Budapest, he said: “I try not to get caught up with being the fastest man in the world. I’ve got no expectations, I’m just running and that’s what I’ve been doing all season. All I know is I’m capable of running super fast and I need to tap in to allow myself to do it when the time comes.”
After winning the 100m national title, he saw an online poll asking which was more impressive — that run of 10.03sec in what looked like a monsoon or the British record.
The former edged it. As for Hughes’s own 2023 highlight, he believes it is yet to come.
