Zharnel Hughes thanks Linford Christie for helping him end global medal drought

20 August 2023 , 22:39

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"Linford gave me a talk. He said ‘Just relax Zharnel. Stay within the mix and you’re going to get a medal'" (Image: PA)

Zharnel Hughes thanked Linford Christie for helping mend his broken heart after he finally won a global medal.

The 28-year old became the first male British sprinter since Darren Campbell in 2003 to podium at the World Athletics Championships when taking bronze in the 100 metres.

He crossed the line, on another balmy Budapest night, believing he had emulated what Christie achieved when capturing the title 30 years ago in Stuttgart.

Although the clock relegated him to third behind champion Noah Lyles (9.83secs), despite matching the 9.88 time of runner-up Letsile Tebogo, Hughes was nonetheless elated.

He cradled his medal like a new-born baby, before repaying a debt of gratitude to Christie.

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“Linford gave me a talk,” he said. “He said ‘Just relax Zharnel. Stay within the mix and you’re going to get a medal’.”

Lyles (centre) heads for 100m glory with Hughes (right) edged into third place (Getty Images)

Hughes did as advised and two years after being disqualified for false-starting in the Tokyo Olympic final at last got his hands on the medal he believed he threw away that night.

“My heart’s full of emotions,” said the Anguilla-born star. “I'm telling you man, the heartbreak I've been through from Tokyo was devastating.

“I kept it all in. I cried a lot, but lessons were learnt. I dug deep. I cried again, because it's been years of trying, years of lessons.”

Linford Christie offered Hughes advice 30 years after himself being crowned 100m world champion (AFP via Getty Images)

Hughes had been the coming man for years, since finishing fifth behind training partner Usain Bolt at the 2015 Worlds.

Nobody doubted his physical talent, more whether he could get his mind right to execute under the greatest pressure.

“In the past my thoughts were running wild,” admitted a man who this year has taken the British records of Christie and John Regis at 100 and 200m respectively. “I want to do this, I want to do that. I was over-thinking. This time I let myself be free. I just needed to relax.”

Hughes: "“The 200 is still to come, that’s my baby, I’m going to go again" (Getty Images)

Hughes missed out on silver by a thousandth of a second but he knew what really mattered was burying the hoodoo of near misses by having a medal of any colour hung round his neck.

“I wanted a gold but leaving with a medal I’m so grateful,” he said. “The 200 is still to come, that’s my baby, I’m going to go again.”

Before then Dina Asher-Smith and Daryll Neita hope to repeat his feat in the women’s 100m this evening after qualifying in 11.04 and 11.03 respectively behind Sha’Carri Richardson (10.92)

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Lyles had predicted 9.65secs but was happy to be wrong and still win (Getty Images)

But Imani Lansiquot’s race is run after she false-started and was disqualified, after being allowed to run under appeal.

Alex Spink