Jeremiah Azu Eyes British 100m Record After Historic Sub-10 Run

Jeremiah Azu a promising Welsh sprinter, has set his sights on breaking the British 100m record after becoming the first Welsh athlete to run under 10 seconds in wind-legal conditions. Azu clocked 9.97 seconds to win decisively at the True Athletes Classics in Leverkusen on Saturday. This achievement places the 23-year-old joint eighth on the British all-time 100m list and 12th sub-10-second British sprinter. The current British 100m record is held by Zharnel Hughes, who set a time of 9.83 seconds in 2023, surpassing Linford Christie’s long-standing record of 9.87 seconds from 1993.

Confident in his potential, Azu expressed his ambition to eventually break this record. “Honestly, I believe by the end of my career I will be able to run the British record,” Azu told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast. “I am confident with the set-up I have got and the belief I have got; it’s all catered for me to run extremely fast.”  Jeremiah Azu set the Welsh record at 10.08 seconds last summer, surpassing Christian Malcolm’s 10.11 seconds. He later improved his time to 10.04 seconds. His 9.97-second run is his first sub-10-second, wind-legal performance, following a wind-assisted 9.90 in 2022.

Azu will compete in the European Championships in June, then focus on the UK Championships in Manchester next month. A top-three finish in this event would secure him a spot at this summer’s Olympic Games. Azu’s 9.97 seconds is Europe’s first sub-10 this year and meets the Olympic qualifying standard. Reflecting on his achievement, Azu expressed his excitement and emphasized the value of maintaining a relaxed mindset. “I’ve known that time was within reach for a long while,” he said. “When you focus too intensely on something, it can become harder to attain. This time, I decided to simply enjoy my running, and the result came effortlessly. It’s really exciting.”

Azu’s talent, determination and strategy position him as a key contender in future British athletics competitions.