Team GB star fights back tears after missing aunt's funeral to win British title
Zharnel Hughes fought back tears when dedicating his British 100m title to an aunt whose funeral was taking place while he was competing last night.
The national record holder was comfortable enough to celebrate before the line, finishing three-hundredths ahead of Jeremiah Azu in a time of 9.94secs.
But Hughes was consoled by world indoor champ Azu when stepping on to the podium and revealed that he had been battling his emotions while mourning the passing of Iola Ebanks in Anguilla.
'A very difficult day for me,' Hughes said. 'I was very close with her. 'Today was a bit of a mental strength game for me. I had to keep suppressing the insides and I couldn't speak with my family because I was getting too emotional.
'Jeremiah was trying to console me a little bit because I almost started crying but this win was for her. I know she would have loved to have seen this. I dedicate this win to my family and everyone back home.'
There was a shock in the women's final as favourite Daryll Neita was disqualified for a false start before Amy Hunt ran a lifetime best 11.02secs to secure her place in next month's World Championships in Tokyo. Desiree Henry finished second to Hunt but must still run the 11.10secs qualifying time by August 26 to secure her spot.
Hunt planned to toast Saturday night's win with a trip to Nando's but returns on Sunday for the 200m and a duel with Dina Asher-Smith. 'We're 1-1 in the head to head so far this year,' Hunt said. 'I'm ready to bring it. I want to win two titles.'
Georgia Hunter Bell wants to win the national 800m title on Sunday afternoon before deciding whether to make a double run for gold at next month's World Championships. The 1500m Olympic bronze medallist plans to seek advice from Dame Kelly Holmes, who won both middle distance titles in Athens 21 years ago, about the logistics of targeting two distances.
However with her team-mate and reigning Olympic champ Keely Hodgkinson yet to return from injury, Hunter Bell admits her path to a global title appears clearer over two laps.
And that is largely down to Kenyan superstar Faith Kipyegon being so far ahead of the rest over 1500m. 'It's hard to see how you can get gold when she's in it,' said Hunter Bell after comfortably qualifying fastest from Saturday's trials heats, with Jemma Reekie next best. The top two will be guaranteed their seat on the plane.
Hunter Bell's place over the longer distance in Tokyo is already secure thanks to her podium finish in Paris last summer. But she added: 'The 1500m is so good and this year has moved on from last year. Whereas the 800m is not as strong.
'So looking at it, at the end of the day you want to win a medal. There's stuff to consider but that's an issue for next week.'
World indoor champion Molly Caudery was a class above in the pole vault - not joining the competition until a height of 4.35m that proved high enough for Tilly Hooper to claim silver.
And after successfully making it over 4.85m, Caudery said: 'That was so much fun. I've just kind of been finding my flow again and figuring a few things out but it was really exciting to jump over the 80s again.'
Elsewhere in the field Lawrence Okoye slung a championship record 65.93m for discus gold and promised: "There is quite a lot still to come because I didn't quite get it altogether out there." Anna Purchase also produced a championship record 72.96m in the hammer.
But there was a surprise in the men's long jump as favourite Jacob Fincham-Dukes finished sixth while Alessandro Schenini leapt 7.85m to win. Alicia Barrett won the 100m hurdles and Scott Lincoln claimed his 20th national title in the shot put.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
an hour ago
- Reuters
Hughes completes sprint double with 200m victory at UK Championships
MANCHESTER, England, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Zharnel Hughes stormed to victory in the men's 200 metres at the UK Athletics Championships on Sunday in Birmingham to complete the sprint double and secure a spot in that event at next month's World Championships in Tokyo. Hughes, who won the 100m on Saturday, clocked 19.90 seconds to break the competition record, becoming the first runner to duck under the 20-second barrier at a British championship. "Winning the 100m yesterday was pretty cool, but I wanted the 200m title more," Hughes said. "My coach will get me a lot sharper for the Championships - I'm excited to see what I can do in Tokyo." Dina Asher-Smith held off newly-crowned 100m champion Amy Hunt to win a women's 200m that was determined by a photo finish, with both clocking 22.14, also a championship record. "It was an excellent race, we needed a photo-finish because neither of us knew who had won," Asher-Smith said. "But I am happy to come here and run a low-22, it is a fantastic time." Daryll Neita, who was disqualified for a false start in Saturday's 100m -- but is still eligible to race that distance in Tokyo, according to UK Athletics -- was third in 22.30, to secure the 200m world qualifying time. Max Burgin won the men's 800m in a fast 1:43.92, while Olympic 1500m bronze medallist Georgia Hunter Bell clocked 1:59.53 to win her first British women's 800m title. Hunter Bell is undecided whether she will run the 800m or 1500m or both in Tokyo. "How cool would it be to follow in the footsteps of the great British athletes like Seb Coe, Kelly Holmes, Steve Cram, who did double up, and were successful – it's hard to decide," she said. World 1500m champion Josh Kerr moved up to the 5,000m and raced to victory in 13:44.73. "It was always going to be tough out there over the last mile but I really enjoyed the first eight laps," Kerr said. "That was fun."
Wales Online
2 hours ago
- Wales Online
Lions star's wife gives birth in back of a car hours before Australia Test
Lions star's wife gives birth in back of a car hours before Australia Test Lions and Ireland star Bundee Aki says his wife called him from a car on the way to hospital hours before he faced the Wallabies Bundee Aki (centre) says he is looking forward to meeting his new-born child (Image:) Lions centre Bundee Aki has revealed that his wife gave birth on the day of the first Test in Brisbane - with the Ireland international yet to meet his new-born daughter. Aki, who featured in all three Tests for the British and Irish Lions here in Australia, was on the bench for the first Test in Brisbane. However, following the third Test defeat in Sydney, Aki revealed that he recently welcomed a fifth child - although he's yet to see his newest daughter. "I want to enjoy my break, my family time," said the 35-year-old as he reflected on the end of a long Lions tour. "I haven't seen my family for eight weeks. "I have a new-born child who I haven't met yet. She was born when we were playing in Brisbane, so I haven't met her. "Her name is Aine, so I'm looking forward to going and meeting my new-born child and we'll go from there." Aki and his wife have a simple theme when it comes to naming their children, with Aine joining Armani-Jade, Adrianna, Andronicus and Ailbhe. Article continues below "All my kids start with A," he added. "So my wife loved the name Aine. That's five As in the family." When asked if it had been difficult not seeing his new-born daughter and the rest of his family, Aki ultimately told the remarkable story of how his wife gave birth in New Zealand on the same day he was facing the Wallabies. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby. "Credit to my wife," he said. "She's a powerful woman, a strong woman. "I have to say it to her. If you only knew the story of what happened, it's a funny story in itself. It was a good day. "I was in the hotel. I knew we were overdue. The missus calls me and she's like, 'Water hasn't broke but I'm going to the hospital, I'm feeling contractions.' "I go, 'Yeah, fair enough.' She goes to the hospital, we're getting ready for the team meeting pre-match, and then she calls me and says she's on the way to the hospital, so I said, 'Fine, be safe.' "Five minutes later, she sends a photo, her water broke. I was like, 'Cool, OK, are you almost there?' This is like 30 or 40 minutes away from the hospital, so I said, 'You'll be all right, Mum is there.' "Ten minutes later, she video calls me and I was like, 'S**t, what's going on?' I saw a baby on the video call, so she had it in the car on the way to the hospital. They're both strong and healthy, so happy days. "In New Zealand, yeah. So happy days." Article continues below Given the nature of the day, it might have been difficult for Aki to focus on the rugby, but the centre admitted he had no issue getting on with the task of taking on Australia at Suncorp Stadium. "I knew it was good Juju, I knew it was good Juju," he said. "So I knew we were going to have a good day."
The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
Pauline Ferrand-Prevot wins final stage to become first French winner of Tour de France Femmes
Olympic champion Pauline Ferrand-Prevot became the first Frenchwoman to win the Tour de France Femmes on Sunday, pushing through three punishing climbs to clinch the final stage ahead of 2023 champion Demi Vollering, who finished second overall. The 33-year-old of team Visma-Lease a Bike - who only returned to road racing this year after a seven-year hiatus - held steady through the 124.1km ride from Praz-sur-Arly to Chatel, before countering a move by Vollering and launching a decisive attack in the last seven kilometres. She fell to the ground in tears after crossing the finish line and celebrated with her parents, while compatriot Jeannie Longo - a three-time winner of a previous incarnation of the Tour, in the 1980s, and the last French champion - made an appearance at the roadside on a great day for the host nation. 'I'm so, so happy,' Ferrand-Prevot told reporters. 'I was a bit scared with the pressure of this jersey... I had to stick to the front and just stay there.' Vollering, of FDJ-Suez, stayed in a group with Ferrand-Prevot for the majority of the ninth stage, but could not break away to make up her deficit of more than three minutes coming into the final day. The Dutch rider finished second in the race for the second year in a row, and secured a podium spot for the fourth year running, losing out on the yellow jersey by three minutes and 42 seconds. Defending champion Katarzyna Niewiadoma-Phinney (Canyon-SRAM) finished third overall, four minutes and nine seconds back. Ferrand-Prevot, who won gold in the cross-country mountain biking at last year's Paris Games, had taken the yellow jersey from Kimberley Le Court on Saturday. Australia's Sarah Gigante, who was second overall coming into the final stage, tried to get ahead of Ferrand-Prevot on the hors-categorie Col de Joux Plane, but the Frenchwoman stayed on her wheels. Gigante's poor descending cost her in the latter stages of the race. She fell behind as Ferrand-Prevot and her rivals caught up with the lone breakway rider Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protime) on the way to Col du Corbier, the final major climb of the 1,168.6km race, and slipped to sixth overall, losing four minutes. The exhausted leading group was unable to keep up when Ferrand-Prevot launched her final attack and crossed the finish line 20 seconds before Vollering to huge applause from the crowd in Chatel. Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime), who has led the points classification since stage three, cemented her position to deny Dutch compatriot Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike) a third green jersey. Vollering's teammate Elise Chabbey won the Queen of the Mountains jersey and 21-year-old Dutchwoman Nienke Vinke secured the best young rider award.
