Jereem Richards dominated the Grand Slam Track meet in Miami, clinching the long sprints title with a world-leading 19.86 seconds in the 200m and a strong 44.32 in the 400m, amassing 20 points and securing the $100,000 prize. In those very standings of the Men’s long sprint, this Olympic bronze medalist finished somewhere down the line. Coming into Atlanta, all eyes were on Richards again—was another win inevitable? But under Piedmont’s sharp lights, everything changed. A shadow from Miami’s past emerged—faster, more focused, the bronze medalist was out of the gold this time.

From the first step, the race was a showdown. And as the clock froze at 19.55, the tables turned. The leader was caught. Richards finished second with a time of 19.63 seconds while Zharnel Hughes went on for the win with 19.55. Wayde van Niekerk came third with 20.03. Now, when you win the first, you’re bound to feel a lot of things. Here’s how this champion felt about this win!

Zharnel Hughes was gassing when he entered the mixed zone, so the media’s first instinct was to tell him to catch a break. But then came the big question: how did he feel? “How did it feel? Long,” Hughes chuckled, “Long, but I was kind of worried because before the start of the race, I was starting to cramp in my left quad, so I was kind of like, ah, is this going to be okay? But I just tried to stay relaxed as much as possible.” In the post-race interview, he was questioned whether his past back injuries had been a problem. 

Back problems have been a persistent issue for him. In 2015, during the World Championships 200m final, Hughes finished fifth but believed he could have broken the 20-second barrier if not for back issues that hampered his performance in the last 50 meters. This time? He said, “This year, I’m just trying to stay as healthy as possible and give it my best each time I go to compete.” Answering the question of how the best of his ability helped with a straight start to the race, the track and field athlete said that he has done it before, so he was aware of the marking and stuff.

He said, he “kind of know where to kick,  so I just executed that and trust myself to stay relaxed.” Zharnel Hughes has excelled in straight-start races, notably breaking the British record with 9.83s in 100m at the 2023 NYC Grand Prix. What of the time that he clocked – a sub-20? Well, he didn’t notice, citing, “I didn’t know. Karim told me. He told me 19.5, I turned around and said, What? So that’s crazy.” But then, like a reporter pointed out, the wind was 2.2, so for it to count, we are about 0.2ms ahead. 

The next question turned the wheel of time for him to 2019, citing that as one of his best seasons. His question? What would he have to do to go back to that kind of form? The answer? “Just keep showing up, competing at the best of my ability, showing up with the good guys, and, I mean, competing early in the season already with the Grand Slam track. So that’s helped me a lot.”

In 2019, Zharnel Hughes won both the British 100m and 200m titles and anchored Team GB to 4x100m silver at the World Championships, setting a European record of 37.36 seconds, so yes, 2019 was quite the season for the Olympics bronze medalist.

Zharnel Hughes’ 200m in 2025 before Atlanta 

Zharnel Hughes commenced his 2025 outdoor season at the GC Foster Classic in Kingston, Jamaica, on April 5. Competing on home soil, he clocked a time of 20.41 seconds in the 200 meters with a +1.2 m/s tailwind, securing second place behind fellow Jamaican Ackeem Blake, who posted a personal best of 20.20 seconds. At the inaugural Grand Slam Track meet in Kingston, Jamaica, held at the National Stadium on April 5, 2025, Zharnel Hughes delivered a commendable performance in the men’s short sprints category.

He secured second place in the 200 meters with a season’s best time of 20.37 seconds, finishing behind American sprinter Kenny Bednarek, who clocked 20.07 seconds. On May 4, Hughes participated in the Miami Grand Slam Track meet at the Ansin Sports Complex in Miramar, Florida. In a highly competitive field, he finished third in the 200 meters with a time of 20.13 seconds (+0.2 m/s), narrowly behind Jamaica’s Oblique Seville, who matched the same time, and American Andre De Grasse, who clocked 20.23 seconds. His 200m win– would this be a start of him going back to 2019 form?