Anguilla-born Zharnel Hughes had big dreams of making it on the track and proving his worth as a star athlete. His expertise in 100m and 200m sprints got him to the top, and soon, he was racing alongside some world-class talents like Usain Bolt.
In the latest Netflix documentary, ‘Sprint’, four-time Olympic winner Ato Boldon admitted how he saw striking similarities between Hughes and Bolt. Apart from being coached by the same expert – Glenn Mills – they came from similar backgrounds, are almost always taller than other competitors, and their racing patterns resemble each other.
Hughes took pride in his humble background and recalled the day he received a gift that helped him face his idol.
“My mom, she was a housekeeper, and my dad is a taxi driver. So they didn’t have that much funds. So when I got my first pair of spikes… I was running like a bullet on the track.”
Both Bolt and Hughes quickly grew popular as sprinters who were bound to zoom past their competitors once they got close enough. However, what happens when you put these two icons on the same track to compete against each other?
In 2015, at the NYC Grand Prix, Hughes was scheduled to run against Bolt in the 200m sprint. This was his first time meeting his idol and the Brit admitted that he was starstruck by the Jamaican’s presence.
Eventually, Bolt won the race but not before Hughes gave him a tough challenge until the very end. Impressed by the then-teenager’s skill and speed, the Jamaian complimented him with a stunned demeanor. Hughes recalled the moment with great pleasure and honor, as he said in the documentary,
“Usain just about took me out. Yeah, even down to the milli-milliseconds. He was like ‘what you just did, boss. What you just did?”
Almost beating Bolt at 19, Hughes is now actively sprinting and hoping for a good show internationally. A small mishap almost took away his chance at the Olympics, but things might look up due to an opportunity.
Hughes might still have a chance at the Paris Olympics
Earlier this year, Hughes sustained injuries that forced him to withdraw from the European Championships. He couldn’t make it to the UK Championships either, which was meant to be the Olympic trials to secure a seat to Paris.
Still, not all hope is lost, as the British sprinter has been granted another lease on his Olympic dreams. The British Athletics recently announced a medical exemption for Hughes that gives him a discretionary third spot in the 100m category, provided he exhibits ideal fitness.
