GOLD TOAST
Hughes dream goes up in smoke as he is disqualified after ‘winning’
ZHARNEL HUGHES’ luck finally ran out when he won the Commonwealth 200 metres only to be stripped of the gold medal.
Three months ago, Hughes was shot at during an attempted robbery, as he trained at a track in Jamaica.
He lived to tell that tale but, at Carrara Stadium last night, Usain Bolt’s former training partner was unable to dodge a disciplinary bullet.
Battling to keep his lead in the dying strides, the 22-yearold caught rival Jereem Richards in the face with his left arm.
The Trinidadian was impeded and Hughes disqualified for obstruction – though not before completing an entire lap of honour draped in the flag of St George.
Richards, who finished with an identical time (20.12secs), was in no doubt his rival’s arm had cost him the race, and an appeal panel agreed, confirming the DQ some 90 minutes later. “If he didn’t hit me, I would have gone past him,” he said. “That hit threw me off my rhythm. In a race you’re not expecting to get hit. I had to slow down.
“I feel for Zharnel, but he definitely saw me coming.”
Hughes’ misfortune took the shine off a strong showing from England’s athletes, who won five medals in two hours having managed only two in the previous four days.
Sophie Hahn took the Women’s T38 100m, adding to golds won elsewhere by diver Jack Laugher, his second in 24 hours, and cross-country mountain biker Annie Last.
There was 800m silver for Kyle Langford, who finished like a train – clocking 13.26secs for the final 100 – but arrived just too late to pip Kenyan winner Wycliffe Kinyamal.
And bronze medals for pole-vaulter Luke Cutts, long jumper Shara Proctor, and 200m sprinter Dina Asher Smith.
Asher-Smith’s 22.29sec performance was the most impressive of all given she was up against a genuinely world-class field and kept Olympic champion Elaine Thompson out of the medals.
Asher-Smith’s gong was presented by Bolt, guest of honour along with Hollywood star Chris Hemsworth.
She said of ex-boyfriend Hughes’ DQ: “He was in great shape – I know how much this meant to him.”