Zharnel Hughes (born 13 July 1995) is an Anguilla-born British sprinter who specialises in the 100 metres and 200 metres. Born and raised in the British Overseas Territory of Anguilla, he has competed internationally for Great Britain in the Olympic Games, World Athletics and European Athletics events, and for England at the Commonwealth Games, since 2015.[2] A double Commonwealth Games (2018, 2022), double European Championships (2018, 2022) gold medalist as part of the 4 x 100 metres relay, Hughes has twice been European champion individually; over 100 metres in 2018, and 200 metres in 2022. In 2023, he broke both British sprint records, before winning his first global individual medal, a bronze in the 100 metres at the 2023 World championships.
Hughes had significant success in his youth representing Anguilla, winning at the CARIFTA Games, Central American and Caribbean Junior Championships in Athletics and the Pan American Junior Athletics Championships. He holds the Anguillian national records in both 100 m and 200 m.
Following his transfer of allegiance[3] Hughes placed fifth in the 200 m final at the 2015 World Championships in Athletics. Injury affected his 2016 and 2017 seasons and he was eliminated in the rounds-stage at the 2016 European Athletics Championships and 2017 World Championships in Athletics. He returned to fitness in 2018 and won the 4 × 100 metres relay title at the 2018 Commonwealth Games with England. Hughes crossed the line first in the final of the 200 metres at the Games, but was disqualified for impeding an athlete in the neighbouring lane.
He won in both the 100 metres and 4 × 100 metres relay at the 2018 European Championships, and in both the 200 metres and 4 × 100 metres relay at the 2022 European Championships representing Great Britain, and once more won in the 4 × 100 metres relay at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, again representing England. In 2019 he achieved his first global senior medal, a silver in the 4 × 100 metre relay at the 2019 World Athletics Championships. He achieved a second medal, a bronze, in the same event at the 2022 World Athletics Championships.
He was also part of the Great Britain team that finished second to Italy in the final of the 4 × 100 metres relay at the 2020 Summer Olympics. On 18 February 2022 it was announced that Hughes and his teammates CJ Ujah, Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake and Richard Kilty would be stripped of their 4 × 100 metres relay 2020 Summer Olympics second place after Court of Arbitration for Sport found Ujah guilty of a doping violation.[4] Hughes won the bronze medal in the same event at the 2024 Summer Olympics, along with Mitchell-Blake and Kilty, in addition to debutants Jeremiah Azu and Louie Hinchliffe.
Hughes is the British record holder over 100 m and 200m as well, with 9.83 s and 19.73 s respectively. He is equally the second fastest European in history over each of these distances, behind (two Italians) Marcell Jacobs (9.80s) and Pietro Mennea (19.72s) respectively.[5]
Hughes trains with the Racers Track Club in Jamaica under coach Glen Mills, with clubmates including Usain Bolt, Yohan Blake and Delano Williams.[6]
- ^ a b c d "Athletics | Athlete Profile: Zharnel Hughes". gc2018.com. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
- ^ Although Anguillians hold British citizenship, and compete automatically for the Great Britain and Northern Ireland team at the Olympic Games, Anguilla has a separate athletics federation recognised by the IAAF for the purposes of the IAAF World Championships in Athletics and other IAAF competitions
- ^ Hughes was always eligible for Great Britain at the Olympic Games, as Anguilla does not have a National Olympic Committee, and Anguillians compete for Great Britain at Olympic Games, However, Anguilla competes separately in World Athletics and Commonwealth events.
- ^ "Stripped silver medals". Twitter. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
- ^ 100 Men Overall All Time. Power of 10. Retrieved 23 June 2018.
- ^ "Delano Williams: The Brit learning at the feet of Usain Bolt". The Independent. 23 April 2014. Archived from the original on 7 May 2022.