Zharnel Hughes keen to justify Usain Bolt comparisons
Last Updated: 21/07/15 4:38pm
Great Britain's Zharnel Hughes is determined to justify being dubbed the new Usain Bolt by securing a podium finish at next summer's Olympic Games.
The 20-year-old sprinter hails from Anguilla, the tiny Caribbean island of just over 16,000 inhabitants, which is so small that it is not recognised by the International Olympic Committee, which is part of the reason behind him following the path of compatriot Shara Proctor in seeking clearance to represent Great Britain.
Having been given the green light, Hughes arrived in the country for the first time a few weeks ago and, although he struggled to acclimatise at first, he still won the 200 metres at the British Championships.
Since then he secured a landmark win over the same distance at the Lausanne Diamond League meeting, setting him up nicely for taking to the track at the Anniversary Games this Friday.
"I was like 'man, I should have been here'," Hughes said, looking back to London 2012.
"I liked the stadium, man, it was packed, everybody was running fast. I just wanted to be inside there.
"I can't believe it still (that I will now be racing there). I told my mum just the other night and my cousins.
"I said 'look, we were watching the Olympic Games the other year on TV and now I am going to be running inside the same stadium'. I am looking forward to it."
Hughes' excitement at taking to the Olympic Stadium track is only natural given it is the next step in a journey which began at primary school in Anguilla.
From there he got a scholarship to the regional high performance centre in Jamaica, before joining Racers Track Club in Kingston.
Hughes trains there alongside idols Yohan Blake, Warren Weir and the indomitable Bolt, who will also be racing at the Anniversary Games.
"These guys train like a beast every day," he said. "It's hard work, it's not just talent he is relying on.
"Training with him (Bolt) and seeing the way he trains, it is a motivation for me that I know that I can better myself one day and become just like him."
Hughes certainly appears to be heading in the right direction, with the sprinter confident in his ability to bring home a medal at next summer's Olympics.
"My coach is going to work me up next season - he is already preparing the programme," he said. "He is ready to kill me. Nevertheless, I am going to put in the work and we'll see what happens at the Olympics next year.
"I continued putting in the work and I am heading to the World Championships in great shape and after that is the Olympics.
"Leading up to that, I think I will be great and will probably medal - you never know."
Such success would certainly ingratiate himself to sports fans in the UK, although he will have to get used to the odd 'Plastic Brit' jibe.
Outspoken sprinter Richard Kilty took to Twitter to have a dig at Hughes before the British Championships, but success on the track is the his only motivation.
"I try not to get carried away by it," he said. "I just try to stay humble, continue to put in my work, not just rely on my talent.
"I am happy for the support that I've been getting thus far from the people in GB and I will continue to make them proud as long as I stay healthy."
