Briton Zharnel Hughes caused a sensation on Saturday in the 100m by achieving the best performance in the world of the season (9”83) and the old record for the United Kingdom, during the New York Grand Prix of athletics, where the American Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone also won the 400m.
“9.83 is a dream. I had written it this morning”, assured the Briton in the mixed zone, he who could not believe his eyes when he saw the time register on the screen of the Icahn Stadium, on the island of Randall’s Island, just across from Manhattan. With a favorable wind (1.3 m/sec), the 27-year-old sprinter swept away his former personal best (9”91 in 2018) and set the best mark in the history of the United Kingdom, 36 years after the 9”87 of Linford Christie at the 1987 World Championships in Stuttgart. It is also the second best time in history over 100m for a European, after the Italian Marcell Jacobs (9”80 at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021).
Double European champion in the 100m and 4x100m in Berlin in 2018, Hughes achieved a great finish to beat Jamaican Ackeem Blake (9”93) and American Christian Coleman (10”02), during this meeting scheduled eight weeks before the Worlds in Budapest (August 19-27). “Everything is possible” for the rest of the season, he assured.
After the surprise Hughes, the American Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, phenomenal in the 400m hurdles, continued her exploration of the 400m flat with a victory and a convincing time of 49”51, better than a fortnight ago in Paris ( 49”71). The 23-year-old American, double Olympic champion in 2021 (400m hurdles and 4x400m relay) and world champion in 2022 over hurdles with an unthinkable world record (50.68), now says she is able to beat that of the ‘German (ex-GDR) Marita Koch (47”60 in 1985) on the lap.
In the French capital, she got stuck after a super fast start and fell behind specialist Marileidy Paulino. “I left a little more cautiously, to feel the second part of the race a little better,” she confirmed on Saturday. “The dish is harder in my opinion, that’s for sure. It’s hard to determine your pedaling cadence mid-ride. At least, with the hurdles, I know where I am”, she added, assuring “that the progression must take time”.
The American 800m prodigy Athing Mu, who had not run since her victory at the 2022 Worlds, eleven months ago, made a successful comeback by winning her favorite race in 1’58”73. Welcomed like a rock star, public darling Noah Lyles put on a show before the race, super relaxed, and won without forcing over 200m (19”83). In the women’s 100m hurdles, the American Keni Harrisson, the 2nd fastest woman in the history of the discipline, achieved a stunning time of 12”29, but with too favorable a wind (2.8m/sec). In the 110m hurdles, American Daniel Roberts won in 13”01, his best time this season, ahead of his compatriot Devon Allen (13”04, best time for him in 2023).
