Running News Daily

'I'm hitting numbers I've never hit before'- British sprint star happy with progress after injury ruined his 2024 season

The world 100m bronze medalist has fired warnings to Noah Lyles, Letsile Tebogo and Kishane Thompson.

Great Britain’s fastest man Zharnel Hughes has resumed training and things are looking up as far as getting into the right shape is concerned.

Zharnel Hughes suffered an injury in 2024, a setback that denied him an opportunity to compete more often and he was not ready by the time the Olympic Games were approaching.

The Olympic 100m bronze medalist was eliminated from the semifinal, being forced to continue his hunt for an individual medal from the Olympic Games.

He was fortunate enough not leave the French capital without a medal as he claimed an Olympic bronze medal from the men’s 4x100m relay. However, Hughes was forced to withdraw from the 200m to ensure he does not cause more impact on his injury.

He did not compete after the Olympics and jetted back to Jamaica for treatment. Hughes then started light training immediately after getting a bit better and so far, he admitted that he is hitting new heights.

In an exclusive interview with Athletics Weekly, Hughes predicted that his 2025 season will be much different from 2024, noting that he is much confident now in his abilities and will be looking to stop the likes of Noah Lyles, Letsile Tebogo and Kishane Thompson from continuing their winning ways.

“From there, we have taken it day by day. I have been doing more strength work and have made a change to my strength and conditioning in the gym, and by doing that, I can feel a difference. I am hitting more personal bests in the gym already, I am hitting numbers I have never hit before,” Zharnel Hughes said.

“I am looking forward to seeing how I can execute throughout the season. I am feeling pretty confident with how my body is feeling and I just need to ensure that I am resting and recovering properly. You can do all the training but if you are not recovering properly then it can always hit the fan.”

His major focus will be on getting into shape for the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo, Japan and he hopes to attain that by competing at Michael Johnson’s Grand Slam Track League. Hughes also has eyes on the 100m and 200m national records.