Favourite tag is no handicap to sprinter Zharnel
Zharnel Hughes insists he can handle being favourite for the European title.
The 23-year-old ran 9.93s in the 100m final to finish second behind the USA’S Ronnie Baker at the Anniversary Games yesterday.
It underlined his favourite tag ahead of the European Championships in Berlin next month – with British team-mates Reece Prescod and CJ Ujah opting not to race in the Diamond League meet.
He said: “Yeah, definitely I can cope. Especially with my coach being behind me. Glen Mills has been a great coach for me this season and he’s made me mentally strong as well.
“For me, it’s just going out there and holding my own and trying not to get ahead of myself with the times, and realising that I’m the favourite going in. I need to stay relaxed.
“I’m really happy, especially going into the European Championships in the next two weeks. This is a confidence-booster for me. I came back after trials and put the work in. Then came out here and pu tina great performance.”
Hughes clocked 9.97 seconds to win his heat at the London Stadium after Christian Coleman pulled out with a hamstring injury. The American, who was the favourite, has suffered hamstring problems this year and withdrew as a precaution.
A depleted field in heat one saw world and European indoor 60m hurdle champion Andy Pozzi run, setting a personal best of 10.44 seconds.
Jamaica’s Shelly-ann Fraser-pryce won the women’ s 100 min 10.98 seconds having only returned to competition in June following the birth of her son last August.
The USA’S Dezerea Bryant and Jamaica’s Jonielle Smith second and third with Brits Imani-lara Lansiquot and Bianca Williams fifth and seventh respectively,
Shara Proctor won the long jump in 6.91 metres ahead of Lorraine Ugen (6.88m) with Katarina Johnson-thompson fifth with 6.70m.
Tom Bosworth broke his own world record in the 3000m race walk when he clocked 10 minutes and 43.09 seconds.
He said: “It was a shock to do that. I’ve just come back from altitude training but I still wanted to see what I could do and this is all heading in the right direction for the Euros.”
This afternoon, Laura Muir is aiming to break the British mile record – which has stood since 1985.
The Scot was just half a second away from beating Zola Budd’s 4:17.57 at last year’s Anniversary Games.
She said: “The world record is possible, but it would be very very tough. My split going through 1500m would have to be pretty close to my PB.
“It is physically possible in terms of what I have done but it would be very, very difficult.” Meanwhile, Team GB’S women’s 4x400m relay quartet were yesterday finally presented with the Olympic bronze medals they earned a decade ago at the Beijing Olympics.
The British team of Christine Ohuruogu, Kelly Sotherton, Marilyn Okoro and Nicola Sanders originally finished fifth, behind the United States, Russia, Jamaica and Belarus.
However, the Belarus and Russia teams were disqualified for doping in 2016 when the International Olympic Committee retested their stored samples.