British 100m runner Zharnel Hughes is fastest man in the world this year after record-breaking run
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Zharnel Hughes has become Britain’s fastest-ever man over 100m after a record-breaking race at the New York Grand Prix.
The 27-year-old Anguilla-born athlete, who has competed internationally for Great Britain at the Olympic Games, clocked a blistering time of 9.83s at this weekend's event in America.
As a result, he beat the previous British record – set by Linford Christie when he won the 1993 World Championships – by four-hundredths of a second.
To put his run into further context, Hughes has recorded the second-fastest time ever recorded by a European; an achievement that would have earned him silver at Tokyo 2020.
At the time of writing, he is also the fastest man in the world this year. Check out that incredible run below. Even he was shocked after crossing the line.
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Hughes, who grew up alongside his mother, who worked as a housekeeper, and his father, a taxi driver, predicted the outcome in New York ahead of race day.
"I woke up with a dream [on Saturday] morning... this morning I woke up with 9.83 on my mind," he said.
"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. Manifestation is real.
"Anything is possible. The great thing is we haven't started speed work yet. This is just raw speed and endurance."
He later posted a picture of his prediction, which read: "Competition day in New York. I'm going to run 9.83. Have faith."
Zharnel Hughes predicted his 9.83 run! 🤯🔮 #BBCAthletics pic.twitter.com/u7m4UqLXRE
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) June 25, 2023
Here's how social media reacted to his record-breaking achievement in New York.
One fan said: "Bloody hell he'd have got close to the magical 9.58 with a decent start," while another wrote: "Lord knows what the time would have been with a better start!!"
A third commented: "He deserves to be trending. What a remarkable run. He smashed a 30 y-o British record. This is a fantastic performance."
A fourth added: "Gave them a head start too. Great to see us doing well in sport."
Hughes also commented on a video of his race, saying: "God is good. Beyond happy to break the British 100m record today. Thank you to everyone for their support. The work continues…."
Featured Image Credit: Twitter/@PGriffinFC/@WorldAthletics
Topics: Athletics, Fan Reactions