Hughes, Asher-Smith seal historic sprint double for Britain

BERLIN: Zharnel Hughes and Dina Asher-Smith claimed a historic European sprint double for Britain on Tuesday as they won the men and women’s 100 metres at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium.

Hughes, allowed to compete for Britain as he was born in Anguilla, a tiny British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean not recognised by the International Olympic Committee, clocked a championship record of 9.95 seconds to edge compatriot Reece Prescod by one-hundredth.

Eight-time Olympic champion Usain Bolt, whose former coach Glen Mills is now working with Hughes, tweeted: “Congrats to my @racerstrack teammate @zharnel_hughes on winning the 100m @EuroAthletics.”

The victory by Hughes came fast on the heels of that by Asher-Smith, who led from gun to tape for a dominant win in 10.85sec.Asher-Smith’s victory was the first by a British woman in the European 100m since Dorothy Hyman in Belgrade in 1962. And it was the first time Britain had claimed the two blue riband titles at the same Euro championships.

Hughes, 23, ran 9.91sec this year to establish himself as the joint second-fastest British sprinter (with James Dasaolu) after Linford Christie.Not only trained in Jamaica, Hughes’ running style is very reminiscent of that of Bolt’s. Accelerating from the blocks, he gradually unfolded his towering 1.92m (6ft 4in) frame, his head coming up and body hitting the famed drive phase almost exactly like Bolt.

In the field, Wojciech Nowicki beat three-time world champion Pawel Fajdek for a one-two for Poland in the men’s hammer throw.Nowicki, thrice a bronze medallist in the last three major championships, managed a best of 80.12m, with Fajdek way off with 78.69 and Hungary’s Bence Halasz taking bronze (77.36).“I always used to be third so this is the breaking point!” joked Nowicki.