Hughes, Asher-smith complete European 100m double for Britain
Britain’s Zharnel Hughes and Dina Ashersmith were crowned as Europe’s fastest sprinters on Tuesday, winning high-quality editions of the blue riband 100m finals at the European Championships.
On a hot, still evening in the Olympic Stadium where Usain Bolt set the world record of 9.58 seconds, Hughes, an occasional training partner of the great Jamaican back in Kingston, set a Championship record of 9.95 to pip fast-finishing teammate Reece Prescod by one-hundredth of a second, Reuters reported.
The race to find the continent’s fastest woman saw Asher-smith end the 100m reign of Dutchwoman Daphne Schippers in brilliant style, clocking 10.85, equaling the world’s fastest time this year and setting a British record.
The 22-year-old Asher-smith, the reigning European 200m champion, surged clear early in the race, with Germany’s Gina Lueckenkemper taking silver in 10.98 and Schippers bronze in a season’s best 10.99.
It is the first time Britain has been able to boast both the men’s and women’s champion at the same edition in the 84-year history of the Championships.
The country’s sprint domination on the opening day of finals was underlined by Britain boasting three men in the top four, with Chijindu ‘CJ’ Ujah clocking 10.06 behind Turkish bronze medalist Jak Ali Harvey (10.01).
“I am happy and the job is done. I felt a bit of cramp so I don’t think I could have
France World Cup star Paul Pogba is determined to end his fractious relationship with Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho and move to Barcelona, according to British media reports on Wednesday.
The 25-year-old – who scored in the 4-2 World Cup final win over Croatia – has agreed terms with Barcelona for a deal worth £89.5 million ($115 million, €100 million) over five years, according to the Daily Mail.
The reported agreement would see him pick up £346,000 a week, almost double what he earns at United.
The Sun claims the former Juventus star – who joined United for a then world-record fee of £89 million in 2016 – has demanded the Premier League side increase his wages from £180,000 to £380,000 a week so he is paid almost on a par with Chilean star Alexis Sanchez, otherwise he will leave.
United, though, would be most reluctant
to sell him, with the Daily Mail reporting the Red Devils have already rejected a bid by Barcelona of £44.5 million plus Colombian central defender Yerry Mina and Portuguese midfielder Andre Gomes.
Mourinho has expressed his frustration over the club’s transfer policy, and Pogba’s departure would leave little time for executive chairman Ed Woodward to find a suitable replacement with the Premier League transfer window due to close today.
The club has had to deny the claim that Pogba sent a text message to Woodward demanding he be allowed to leave.
The Frenchman is keen to move to Barcelona – the Spanish transfer window does not shut till the end of the month – to play with Argentina superstar Lionel Messi, while his close friend and former Juventus teammate Arturo Vidal also recently moved to the Catalan giant. gone any faster but I’m just happy,” said Hughes, who was almost overhauled by Prescod as the silver medalist dipped under 10 seconds for the first time.
The 23-year-old Hughes was born and raised in the British Overseas Territory of Anguilla but has competed internationally for Britain for the past three years.
He has made rapid strides under Bolt’s former coach Glen Mills but was left heartbroken in the Commonwealth Games when he was celebrating his 200m victory only to be told he had been disqualified for obstructing Trinidad’s Jereem Richards.
‘Play your part’
Essentially, though, Pogba’s unhappiness stems from the deterioration in his relationship with Mourinho, who not only does he blame for his muted performances for United since his move but also for his qualified praise of his performances for France at the World Cup.
“Paul was like the (France) team. He started average and ended top,” Mourinho told bein Sports on United’s unhappy tour of the United States last week.
Pogba, though, is believed to have been more upset by what followed in the interview as Mourinho implied being in an enclosed environment over six weeks ensured he focused just on football and not on outside matters such as commercial contracts.
Pogba’s super agent Mino Raiola – who was also instrumental in bringing
As for any comparisons with his illustrious friend, Hughes just shrugged, “Usain Bolt did what he did at this stadium. I did the championships record and I am happy for that.”
A beaming Asher-smith, who looks set to be one of athletics’ new shining personalities, said after her win, “I’m really really happy, I knew I had it in my legs. I did everything right.
“In the heats, I sat in the blocks like I was a slug and my reaction time was 0.2 (of a second) and I was like, ‘what you doing, Dina, you’re here to run. I was really happy to nail it in the final.”
Romelu Lukaku to United last summer – has remained out of the fray, refusing to comment on links with Barcelona.
“I will never make declarations about Paul,” said the Dutch-italian agent, who is reported to have earned just over £40 million when Pogba moved to United.
“You have to speak to Manchester United,” added Raiola.
Former United star Rio Ferdinand told Wednesday’s edition of the Daily Mail that Mourinho needed to fit the team around Pogba’s sublime talent, but accepted the player needed to adapt too.
“It’s down to the manager to get the best out of him, setting the team up and setting Pogba up in the right way to achieve the best,” said the former England central defender.
“But Pogba needs to play his part in that.
“It’s a case of the player and manager getting an understanding for each other and getting the best out of the player.”