Hughes runs 9.83 to break Christie’s 30-year 100m record

NEW YORK (Agencies): Zharnel Hughes has broken Linford Christie’s British men’s 100m record, which had stood for 30 years, by clocking 9.83 seconds in New York.
The 27-year-old took 0.04 secs off the previous mark of 9.87, which Christie set at the World Championships in 1993.

Hughes said he was looking forward to “seeing him, shaking his hand and telling him that this is long overdue”.

Hughes’ new record is the fastest time in the world this year, and the second fastest ever by a European athlete. Only Italy’s Marcell Jacobs, who ran 9.80 to win Olympic gold in Tokyo in 2021, has run faster.

Hughes, who won European 200m gold and 100m silver last year, beat Jamaica’s Ackeem Blake (9.93) to clinch victory at the New York Grand Prix on Saturday. On breaking Christie’s record, he said: “I always give respect to Linford. He always supports me every time I’m in the UK, and sometimes he helps out with my training sessions.”

Saturday’s race also featured the United States’ 2019 world 100m champion Christian Coleman, who finished third in 10.02. Coached by Glenn Mills, who helped Jamaican sprinting legend Usain Bolt win his eight Olympic medals, Hughes powered away from the field in impressive fashion over the final 50m.

Initially in disbelief after seeing his time, Hughes will take great confidence from the performance with less than two months until the World Championships in Budapest.

Before Saturday’s race, his personal best had been 9.91, which he set in 2018.

“I woke up with a dream this morning,” Hughes said. “This morning I woke up with 9.83 on my mind. “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?’ It actually came through.”