Zharnel Hughes, a British sprinter who specializes in the 100 meters and 200 meters, was born in Anguilla, a British Overseas Territory. Since 2015, he has represented Great Britain in various prestigious events such as the Olympic Games, World Athletics, and European Athletics, while also competing for England in the Commonwealth Games. As of June 2023, Hughes holds the British record for the 100 meters, with a time of 9.83 seconds, and is recognized as the second fastest European ever in this event.
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He made his first international appearance for Anguilla at the 2010 CARIFTA Games at the age of fourteen. Hughes was awarded a scholarship in 2012 to attend the IAAF’s Regional High Performance Training Centre in Jamaica and began studying at Kingston College. During this time, he had the opportunity to train with the world record holder, Usain Bolt.
As he progressed in the 2013 season, Hughes achieved notable victories, winning gold in the 100m at both the 2013 CARIFTA Games and the 2013 Pan American Junior Athletics Championships. He also made his debut in senior international competition at the 2013 Central American and Caribbean Championships in Athletics.
In 2014, Hughes made headlines when he broke Yohan Blake’s meet record in the 100m at the Inter-Secondary Schools Boys and Girls Championships. His impressive performances established him as the number one under-20 athlete in the world that year.
Zharnel Hughes, hailing from a British Overseas Territory, became eligible to represent Team GB in World Athletics events and confirmed his decision in June 2015. During the 2015 season, he made an impressive start with a new national record of 20.15 seconds in the 200m event. His Diamond League debut in June that year garnered praise as he almost outperformed world champion Usain Bolt. Hughes’ success continued with his first British national title win at the 2015 British Athletics Championships and earned him a spot in the 2015 World Championships.
Unfortunately, Hughes missed the 2016 Rio Olympics due to a knee ligament tear from an earlier fall. His 2017 season was hampered by slow injury rehabilitation and persistent pain while running, affecting his performances. In the 2018 season, Hughes was one of the world’s top 100m runners as she set impressive times and became the 129th person to run below 10 seconds.
In 2021, he reached the 100m final at the 2020 Summer Olympics but faced disqualification due to a false start. The following year, Hughes claimed victory in the 200m event at the European Championships and secured the silver medal in the 100m race. In June 2023, he scripted history by breaking the British 100m record previously held by Olympic champion Linford Christie. Later that month, at the UK Athletics Championship, Hughes ran the 200m and surpassed Jon Regis’s national record, with a slightly excessive wind.
| Event | Total | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
| World Championships | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| European Athletics Championships | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Pan American Junior Championships | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Commonwealth Games | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
Zharnel Hughes was born in The Valley, Anguilla, where his mother worked as a housekeeper and his father as a taxi driver. His family has Jamaican roots. He discovered his athletic talent at the age of ten while winning races at a local school sports day for Orealia Kelly Primary School (formerly Stoney Ground Primary).
| Competition | Best Result | Event | Timing | Place/ Result |
| World Athletics Championships | Eugene 2022 | 100 m | 12th (Semis) | 10.13 |
| World Athletics Championships | Doha 2019 | 4 × 100 m relay | Silver | 37.36 |
| European Championships | Berlin 2018 | 100 m | Gold | 9.95 |
Zharnel Hughes holding the Great Britain flag (Image Credits - Twitter)
Zharnel Hughes alongside Usain bolt at the World Championships 2015 (Image Credits - Twitter/ @)
Zharnel Hughes (Image Credits - Twitter)
Zharnel Hughes at the European Athletics 2022 (Image Credits - Team GB/ Twitter)
