A star is born
Amy Hunt, 17, comes of age in victory dash
Amy Hunt’s next assignment after beating the country’s best sprinters to claim the British 60metres title yesterday is an A-level English literature exam tomorrow.
Still only 17, great things have been predicted for Hunt ever since she became the fastest under-18 woman in history over 200m last summer. For reference, her male equivalent is a certain Usain Bolt.
In such a context it is easy to forget her inexperience and this competition in Glasgow was the first time she had competed against senior athletes at this level. Not that you could tell.
Aided by an absence of big names, Hunt eased to victory in her heat before winning the first of what may turn out to be many British titles in the final. Her winning time of 7.39sec was well clear of Alisha Rees in second and capped a memorable week for Hunt after lining up alongside double Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce on this same Emirates Arena track seven days earlier.
“That was insane,” said Hunt. “I’m over the moon. We’ve learnt a lot from this indoor season and I’ve had some amazing experiences with getting to run in America and racing against Shelly-Ann.
“I’d do the last week over again repeatedly. It’s been crazy and it’s proved to me I can hold my own in these big races, come up against these amazing girls and prove I’m right alongside them.”
With a potential tilt at the Olympics and the World Junior Championships later this summer, there is little time for Hunt to rest, especially given her other duties.
First comes that English literature exam on Monday – which she jokes she “hasn’t done any revision for” – and then chemistry on Thursday, before she must choose whether to accept a place to study at Cambridge or Loughborough University. If she can find any time, she will continue to practise the cello, which she plays to grade-six level.
“It’s good to be able to take my mind off training and it stops me getting bored,” she said. “I can’t watch TV all day. It’s a major year this year. There are a lot of big opportunities for me.”
While this stage may be new to Hunt, it is familiar to multiple national medallist Andrew Robertson, who won the British men’s 60m title in 6.66sec.
One man absent from that final was the most decorated athlete on display in Glasgow this weekend, former world champion Dwain Chambers, who joked “I’m just getting old” after trailing in last in his semi-final two months short of his 42nd birthday.
“I just fancied the challenge,” said Chambers, with trademark wide smile.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to keep myself in good shape. However, trying to race against guys half my age is tough. I still enjoy it, but that was a bit more than I can handle.
“I’ve done this for a long time – 25 or 26 years – longer than most of these kids have been alive. I just do it for the pure love, so this is a chance to have a little bit more fun before the wheels fall off.
“They are slowly falling off. I lost a wheel nut in that one. I’m trying to go as long as I can and inspire as many people as I can.”
Other winners in Glasgow included long jumper Abigail Irozuru as she looks to build on her seventh-place finish at last year’s World Championships, and Sophie Cook, who went sixth on the British all-time pole vault list.
‘It’s a chance for a bit more fun before the wheels fall off. I lost a wheel nut in that one’