Sprint: The World's Fastest Humans (2024) s01e03 Episode Script
Episode 3
1
Eugene, Oregon.
USATF National Championship,
Team USA's select group
of stars will be decided here.
Can you handle all the pressure
To the top to win? ♪
And leading the charge
is sprint sensation, Noah Lyles.
I want to transcend
the sport.
If I believe myself to be
the best that ever was
then I need a record that emulates that.
He wants the 100-200 double.
And this is the first major step.
The double is always significant
in track and field because
so few people have ever done it.
I have very little margin
for mistakes.
I gotta kill these guys.
If you don't make it
top three at Nationals,
then you don't go to World Championships,
and that's it.
Men's 100 final!
Get out!
Lyles, not the best start.
Move through them, Noah!
Move through them, Noah!
And look at this!
Look at Cravont Charleston!
Get there!
That was close!
But who got it?
BELONGING
Let's make sure
we're taking this warm-up serious,
we got some sprinting to do.
Come on, get moving, we got to be moving.
Get it done.
Runners to your mark.
Drive it, rebound off of it,
don't try to push toward it.
The US Championships
was definitely too close.
I almost missed a moment.
To the line!
For the National Championship!
Lyles in third does make
the team
Noah, you punch your way here
in the 100.
What are your thoughts about this?
This is probably the hardest
team I've ever had to make in my life.
I got third in the 100 meters.
To make the team.
I like that
I need to figure out
where is my body,
and do we need to make adjustments
going in to World Championships?
- Okay.
- Yeah, I'm seeing it. I felt it too.
You have to be comfortable
with being uncomfortable, it's part of it.
Noah made it at the USA's,
he was top three, that's all that matters.
It wasn't the result we went there to do,
you go there to win, obviously.
So we've still got a lot of work to do.
People who win races focus on them.
They know what they will do,
not what others will do.
Don't think about it,
just run through it for me.
I need to get rid of
this old Noah.
But when it's time to show out,
I'll be ready.
Good!
I can promise you that.
Very warm welcome
to London
for this final Diamond League meeting
before those
World Championships in Budapest.
Track is much bigger in London
versus the States.
It is the biggest stop on the tour.
People will know
who you are
and there will be a following.
- Is this yours?
- Yeah, it's mine.
Noah has struggled at Nationals,
so he has to win the 200 in London.
And take that momentum
as he goes into the World Championships.
You look like
a world champion's mom!
They you said you got recognized
in the bathroom?
I got recognized
in the bathroom at the mall.
Do I look cooler
on this side or this side?
- Oh my goodness.
- Both sides.
- What a great vibe, like
- That's why I keep her close.
I loved it.
I truly don't know
what to expect with London.
But nobody has won on me
in the 200,
so no excuses.
The 200 meters is
Noah's wife.
That's a joke we have
in our family.
- His wife.
- The 200 is my wife, the 100 my mistress.
That's the side chick..
Because the side chick will go
with anybody who's popular.
Mmm-hmm.
- Yeah, that's true
- But the wife is faithful.
- She'll stay with you to the end.
- She stays with you.
- That's probably not politically correct
- No, that's
- Especially for a mom to say
- It's very accurate.
Going into London,
we haven't had the ability
to run a whole lot of 200 meters yet.
It's the one opportunity
for the World Championships
We wanna prove that Noah's
the best sprinter on the planet.
Zharnel will be in the race,
he's looking good.
Zharnel Hughes is a British
sprinter who's having, by far,
the best year of his career.
What's happening? Cock-a-doodle!
My name is Zharnel Hughes.
I'm the World's Fastest Man of 2023.
Zharnel Hughes goes by,
takes the win 9.83!
He's just become
the fastest British man ever.
Yes!
It's a British record,
taking down the great
Linford Christie's record from 1993.
Big timer.
He's swift.
Now he really has
everybody's attention.
Because he is the man to beat.
He's got a better
100 meters than Noah
but Noah has a considerably
better 200 meters than he does,
so, you know, we'll see what happens.
This is my first time
racing Zharnel
since he's come off of his 100 meter.
That should give him enough confidence
for him to think
that he might be able to win.
He'd have to beat me in the 200
and that ain't happening.
When there is a big race
in London
and there is a British star
who is capable of doing really well,
it just makes it that much better.
Back in the days,
you carried your own starting blocks.
We had our own starting blocks,
and they were heavy as well.
Boy, what a thing this would be
for the race against you.
Zharnel Hughes takes on Linford Christie!
Listen, probably sold out.
Oh, this would easy.
Linford Christie is
the best British sprinter ever.
And Christie comes
through to become champion of the world!
Olympic champion, world champion.
Three times the European champion.
That is a British record
for Zharnel Hughes.
But to see Zharnel take down
Linford Christie's record finally,
was a revelation for a lot of people.
It's been a while
since we've been able to say,
"British male sprinter
in contention for gold."
Were you watching that race,
Linford? Were you tuned in?
No, we didn't see it live,
we heard about it.
One of my athletes rang me
and I thought it was a joke.
I said, "No, no no, who was that?"
And he goes, "Zharnel."
And I said, "Woah!"
And then I went
on the internet to look it up.
I could not believe it.
You can see it because you're like
I could not believe I was like, "What!?"
Never train like a champion,
always like a contender.
- Facts
- 'Cause champions have nowhere to go.
- So I always trained like a contender
- Facts.
because I wanted to get to
where they were.
I used to put a picture
of Carl Lewis under my mat.
Because he was number one!
I put him under my mat so it's
when I walk in the house,
I'm stepping on him because this is how,
- it's how much I wanted it, you know?
- That's hilarious.
Oh wow.
The level of focus mentally as
sprinters to compete is incredible.
In the British public and media,
there's going to be,
tremendous expectation
that Zharnel is going
to, come in to that meet at home and win.
- You were just the other way around.
- Were we? You go on that side.
You have to deal with
the expectations,
not only that you have,
but everyone else has of you.
That's really hard.
I'll teach you the psychology.
You walk over,
when he's bent and ready to go,
you shake his hand like this,
You don't have to shake his hand.
He's just doing that
to throw you off your game. Okay?
'Cause you'll be wondering,
on the starting line,
"Why did he come and shake my hand?"
So now your game's thrown off.
Like, for instance, the guys from the US,
they'll come up and be like, "USA, baby!"
Try to throw you off.
They do any single thing
that can get into your head.
This is one I've never used it,
but heard about it.
So you're down on the mark
and you get a bit of the track
And when he's on his mark like this,
you flick it in his lane.
Then he looks at that little thing you
just flicked, the gun will go and you run!
Someone did that?
- I would never do that.
- Really? Why?
That would be crazy
When the camera's off you can say it.
Zharnel is on his way
to putting his name
next to the great British sprinters,
including Linford.
Thank you, Zharnel.
The champion!
He could be a problem for Noah.
And if I'm thinking it
Noah is certainly thinking
it at the same time.
Set.
Good.
Up and down on it!
Yes!
Did Mark tell you the lanes?
- Zharnel's at 7
- Yeah.
Which is the best way for it to be here.
Lanes don't matter.
No, no, no, but I mean, it's just
a good time to work that out.
That's why I like that lane
with him out there,
because you can work that pattern,
see how it sets up from here.
The center lanes are the preferred
lanes, they're the best lanes,
because that's where the fastest athletes
are gonna be
and you want to be next to the fastest
so you can go get someone
or run away from someone.
I like the set up much better
coming through here.
When you stood it up like that, it was
straight down the middle of the track.
Don't cry for me Argentina ♪
You know that's going on TV.
No it's
There's nothing we could really do
that would embarrass us.
Ooh, I'm going over here.
Bye coach!
I do not go to every race.
I go to most races.
I flew to Switzerland
when he first started running,
and I'm like, "I spent all this money.
I flew all the way to Switzerland
to watch 19 seconds. What am I doing?"
My brother was like,
"No, you didn't come
just to watch 19 seconds.
You came to be emotional support."
- Hi guys!
- Hello mother.
How's it go I met your mom!
You did!
How was that meeting?
She's funny.
She has her ways.
It's nice talking to you, Mama.
Antoinette said a few minutes ago,
"You know a lot of people."
- I do?
- You do.
I've been in the sport for over 30 years.
Keep throwing it out there,
let 'em all know.
- You been around longer than me
- No, don't you do that to me.
Don't you do that to me.
My circle is so important.
They believe I could be the very best.
That's why I'm motivated to keep going.
I've missed the 200 though.
Tell you that.
It's time to run one.
- Mami. Hi.
- how are you?
- That thing is freezing.
- I know.
- Hey big dog.
- What's up?
- Hey, have a good one.
- Thanks.
Oh my days,
the fastest man on the planet.
I have to shake your hand.
- Bro, I can't believe it, man. Unreal.
- Let me take your picture.
- Yes.
- One, two All right.
- Come on.
- That looks good. You good?
Noah, bro, you gonna smash it.
- I'm here Sunday, I got tickets.
- Appreciate it, man. All right!
Noah's not afraid of
any challenge
and he has made
it his mission to elevate himself
as an athlete to transcend
the sport of track and field.
Usain Bolt occupied that title
and that space for a decade or so.
He makes it look easy.
Bolt, 200 triple!
I was a 200-meter runner,
initially.
But Carl Lewis had doubled
and set the bar so high.
So I shift my focus
so I still had that hunger.
I've been doin' this my whole life ♪
I've been doin' this my whole life ♪
I look at Zharnel and there's
so many similarities between him and Bolt,
and not just the fact they're coached
by the same man, Glenn Mills.
I prefer the fast jets.
Anything that's with speed, I love it.
They are a lot taller than most
of the guys that they run against
and their race models are very similar.
If they're close to anybody's lane,
they are going to run right by them,
the same way that Bolt did it,
it's the same way
that you see Zharnel do it
when he's in that kind of form.
Do you miss the flight
simulator when you're away, Zharnel?
Of course, man.
Listen!
I'm like, "Oh, I can't wait
to come home to you." It's like a child.
We welcome the passengers on board.
Welcome aboard
American Airlines,
we're currently across from the airport,
we'll be on our way
Did you think you were going
to be a pilot growing up?
I knew I always loved
planes since high school days.
Sometimes we got in trouble
in science class
'cause we always had pens
or pencils in our hands
and pretended to be flying a plane.
It got reported in my report book.
But my mom is afraid of planes
so she was like,
"Um I don't think I want you to do it."
Ladies and gentlemen,
welcome aboard.
I'm Captain Hughes,
today I'll be taking you to St. Martin.
So flying down to Juliana,
flight time's going to be 35 minutes
at a cruising altitude of 19,000.
Sit back, relax,
your seat belts fastened.
I knew
I always was going to be fast,
'cause I'm very determined.
My mom still have clip books
of me racing in St. Martin,
barefooted on the tracks.
My mom, she was a housekeeper,
and my dad is a taxi driver.
So they didn't have that much funds.
So when I got my first pair of spikes
I was running like a bullet on the track.
Zharnel Hughes
My first professional meet
was just about 19 years old.
I was lined up against Usain Bolt yes.
I was starstruck because this is a guy,
I've been looking up at and legendary.
I had to pinch myself a couple times
because it was like a dream for me.
And I was just like, "Oh my God,
what am I going to do?"
I turned on all the turbos
I could possibly turn on.
And I just ran for my life.
the movement of Julian Forte
that's a lot to picture,
comes in strong in lane 3,
lane 4 is Dwyer,
but Bolt leading might take this one
with a little dip there at the line.
Usain just about took me out.
Yeah, even down to the milli-milliseconds.
He was like, "What you just did, boss.
What you just did?"
Zharnel has so much potential.
I think he has so much potential,
so much potential.
He needs to believe in himself
more
and he will be one of the top sprinters.
He will compete for a gold medal
in the one and two every year.
First time I started competing
in England,
it wasn't the biggest reception.
It's almost as if I could hear almost
hear a little whispers like,
"Who is he? Where is he from?"
I saw it in the paper,
"plastic Brit Zharnel Hughes."
What does the term
'plastic Brit' mean?
I don't even know what it meant.
Honestly.
I don't know what what does it mean?
Fake Britain.
It's not a nice word.
Yeah, it's not nice, man.
Honestly, it's not nice.
Anguilla is a British colony,
many people don't know that.
From primary school,
we've been singing the British anthem.
So to be classified as a 'Plastic Brit',
almost as if I had to prove myself,
in a sense.
It, it felt a bit disgusting, honestly.
I think it's a much harsher
environment in the UK.
They're much more critical
of their athletes,
because I think track and field
is a much more prominent sport
and so I think
it would be similar to the US
of how we look at
basketball players or football players.
I've been down
some dark spots in my life
in regards to the track and field.
Erm
After Tokyo
My world completely stopped,
to be honest with you.
This is the men's 100-meter
Olympic final.
Which man will seize
his chance for sporting immortality?
Set.
That was Zharnel Hughes
of Great Britain and he knows it.
What a disaster if he gets disqualified.
If you false start, you're out.
So that's a lot of pressure and when you
think about something like the 100 meters
where you got to get it right,
it's really challenging,
especially if you have
a tendency to be jittery
or you've had false starts in the past.
His quest
for Olympic history is over
and in the worst possible way.
I felt as if I was
a ghost coming back into the village.
I felt as if my heart
has been ripped out my chest.
I couldn't sleep
the night when I got back in.
I was just sitting there in the bed,
traumatized.
Felt as if I failed
and everything came crumbling down on me.
It's hard when you have
some type of major devastation
and then to come back the next year
and try to overcome that,
it's always
in the back of your head.
And you know that people are thinking that
so you got to be really mentally tough
to be able to put yourself out there,
and reverse that.
It, it carried over into
the 2022 season as well
because I was still traumatized
about what had happened in Tokyo.
It was always about getting
the best start, getting the best start.
six third from left.
And a false start there.
Thankfully, I had a good support system
that helped me
to rise above it all afterwards.
Can you bump like this? ♪
Make 'em jump like this? ♪
Can you bump like this? ♪
Jump so high ♪
You got about ten bands on
your wrist.
Twelve!
And that Van Cleef ain't even one.
And that Van Cleef not even there!
That's the crazy part!
Don't touch me with that wrist.
I can't buy that wrist.
Put me in debt.
That's at least
my whole circuit check right there.
That's a whole bonus check right there!
- "It's not Sha'Carri, it's Sha-Carri!"
- "It's Sha-Carri!"
- She's this tiny, huh?
- She's tiny
- She's so tiny
- She's over here like
This tiny here, this tiny and this loud.
Can you bump like this? ♪
Jump so high
Electrified ♪
Track and field.
It's definitely in the blood of Londoners.
Now to build up anticipation
in the home crowd
you got to have two big names.
Zharnel Hughes now
jumping on the scene in the 100 meters.
Also a 200-meter runner,
running the 200 here tomorrow.
A lot of people are wondering
if he's really the guy
for Great Britain sprints.
He basically just took
Linford Christie out of the record books
with his 100-meter performance.
Incredible, hey.
Look at this.
Oh, I love this.
Love the feeling of this track.
Now Zharnel,
he's from Anguilla, it's a British colony,
but we don't really know how accepted
he is in the British public yet.
This moment here,
he's going to have
a chance to go head up in the 200
against the 200-meter
American record holder, Noah Lyles.
- World Champion!
- Cheese!
- Oh, it's a video!
- Whoo!
If Zharnel can pull off a victory
at home here in London against Noah Lyles,
let me tell you something, they're going
to welcome him with open arms.
Home stadium, baby.
Home stadium.
The time has come.
There's no turning back from here.
Publicizing tomorrow's
London edition
of the Wanda Diamond League,
the London Athletics Meet.
The first thing to say before even
we introduce any of the athletes to you,
is that in the last few minutes
the meeting is completely sold out.
So 50,000 tickets have gone.
Which means it's the largest
one-day athletics event in the world.
Noah, what do you think it's going to take
to win over 200 tomorrow here?
Whatever I run.
You've never raced at this stadium?
Nope.
What are your thoughts of 50,000 people,
we make a good noise here?
That's cute. That's cute.
Noah, question to you,
at the risk of making Zharnel blush.
Can you just talk about what
Zharnel's performance was in New York
when he set that time?
Um, to me it's just another person
on the map to race against.
Point Blank.
Was Zharnel always in the conversation,
- for the medals and the championship
- No.
- But he is now.
- He is now.
- Yeah
- And that's all that matters.
- Another person to beat.
- Yeah.
Noah talks.
But I am not
one of those persons who talks
I rather to show up
and show you that I'm ready as well.
I'm over here, relaxed,
I'm chill.
I'm looking like I'm not about to race
but I'm ready for you.
I'm not afraid of you.
I can look you dead in the face
and say to you, "I'm not afraid of you."
You can be the best runner
in the world,
but when I line up against you,
once I get my bit together
I'm going to give it
and that's the mindset
I come into track and field with now.
Zharnel, I wondered if
the British 200-meter record
is also in your sights?
Is that a big target for you tomorrow?
Something that's on the board,
if tomorrow it comes, I'm happy for it.
What is the British record?
19.94.
Oh we can get that.
Why you being so modest, man?
If you don't have
main character energy
track and field ain't for you.
You have to truly believe
that when you go into a race,
you're going to win every time.
I don't care if you got a bad start,
I don't care if you have a bad finish,
no matter what.
And that's what I can see
in people's eyes.
Very warm welcome to London
for this final
Diamond League meeting
before those World Championships
in Budapest.
The biggest one-day meeting crowd
in the world
for some four or five years.
50,000 people.
It's a sellout here at the London Stadium.
This should be a special one.
Zharnel Hughes, British
champion, in the shape of his life.
Can he navigate his way
through to victory here
against the double world champion,
Noah Lyles?
In the call room, you can feel
the different egos inside there.
You know, and it's tense.
You have to be ready
because everyone's bringing their A game.
I feel pretty good lined up
against him in the 200.
Knowing that he's,
you know, back to back 200-meter champion.
It's exciting.
I want to see
where I can match up as well.
I have done everything
that I possibly could
to be ready for this moment.
So I just have to trust my body to do it.
All right, gentlemen, step up
The best fans of track and field
in Europe all live in Great Britain.
When it's the biggest stage
my adrenaline is out of control.
Whoo!
Hopefully I can smash the British
record in front of 50,000 people.
It will be a memorable one
to do it on the home soil, now.
Say you want my spot ♪
Wanna take your shot? ♪
Think you're looking real hot? ♪
All eyes, I'm sure, will
be trained on Hughes, lane 7,
the British champion.
He's a qualified pilot.
I like to stay silent, and when
it comes to lining up
on that starting line,
best believe I'm very lethal.
And Noah Lyles in lane 6.
He was in a quite spiky mood,
I thought, in the press conference.
It's showtime.
I just kept breathing
because I didn't want to get too excited.
"Be composed, be composed."
That's all I kept telling myself.
You're ready for this, too.
On your marks.
This is where it's
a make or break moment.
A pure switch on in my mind.
Set.
Every moment
is made for me.
Noah Lyles in lane 6!
Can he navigate his way
through to victory here against this man?
Hughes is the target, the taller man.
Zharnel Hughes, in the form of his life.
Come on.
Oh, it's going to be very
close, this one.
Hughes and Lyles well paired.
But it's Lyles who's
stretching away.
The world champion wins it once again.
19.46 the winning time.
It's the fastest time
in the world this year.
Wow.
There's no opposition
Standing after any collision ♪
From the very beginning
In my flesh I felt this feeling ♪
I can really bring the moment
That your bein' has arisen ♪
I am proud of you!
Hey coach!
The 200 will always be mine.
That's my wife right there.
I ain't letting go of her. She mine.
I'd say today was more
of a warning shot to everybody else.
Now we may have
a British record,
the time to look out for is 19.94.
You got that.
19.73, it's a British
record for Zharnel Hughes!
John Regis' record
of 19.94 has finally gone.
So happy!
I did it right here, right here, man!
Right in front of you guys,
thank you so much for coming out.
Lots of love. I'm overwhelmed.
Before you go, I'm gonna hand you
this check, it is a British record,
you go home with
a further 5 thousand dollars.
The new British record holder,
Zharnel Hughes!
Yeah baby!
Told Zharnel that we could easily get
that British record
and he came out here and smashed it,
just like I thought he would.
I get like 10% of that, right?
Guaranteed, yeah, sure!
- Good running, man.
- You too, man. I'll see you tomorrow.
Yeah, man, sure.
We gonna see each other, don't worry.
Him winning the race,
obviously I wanted
to be a little bit more closer.
But I broke the British record
and I did it on the home soil.
And I'm more determined
to win the World Championships.
We'll get there. We'll get there.
They sent my booster for the sunrise ♪
The reflection in the mirror
Is the greatest alive ♪
It all starts in the mind
The powers that matchin' ♪
Give it 100 percent ♪
I just want to see
Oh baby!
how much I can actually push myself.
Just want to stay on that same trajectory
and keep climbing to the top.
To be the best
You gotta be the best ♪
Next stop, Budapest.
Ah, World Championships!
Next stop, a real shot at the double.
- Yes.
- For real.
Heavy is the head
that wears the crown.
It's easier to win
when you're the underdog
because the expectation is not there.
But once the expectation is there
the whole atmosphere changes.
If he wins the double,
I'll be just as happy as
if he breaks the world record.
- I mean, that's just what
- Yep.
This year is about that, in my mind.
And in his.
You have to be grounded
in who you are as a person.
So I think our team is doing a good job
in making sure his head
is strong enough to wear the crown.
I have a very strong ambition
to be the greatest
at anything I touch that I love.
That ambition to not only
understand the game,
but change it is another feeling
that I feel that I embody.
So I love the sport
but I refuse to keep it where it is.
I'm ready to go to the horizon
and then see what's beyond it.
The moment is now.
Whoo-hoo It's a do or die.
There's a lot on the line.
The Nationals is the qualifier
for the World Championships.
- Road to Budapest.
- Yes. Right there.
If you do not qualify here,
then you won't get to
the World Championships,
to the big party.
There's no room for error.
I need to first prove
to the world I am the best.
They're bringing
their A game, man.
Once you show up on the day,
it's go-time for everybody.
This is going to be a battle.
She's yet to make
a 100-meters team.
Nothing is guaranteed
and you don't get no do over.
Subtitle creation by: Lesley Taylor
Eugene, Oregon.
USATF National Championship,
Team USA's select group
of stars will be decided here.
Can you handle all the pressure
To the top to win? ♪
And leading the charge
is sprint sensation, Noah Lyles.
I want to transcend
the sport.
If I believe myself to be
the best that ever was
then I need a record that emulates that.
He wants the 100-200 double.
And this is the first major step.
The double is always significant
in track and field because
so few people have ever done it.
I have very little margin
for mistakes.
I gotta kill these guys.
If you don't make it
top three at Nationals,
then you don't go to World Championships,
and that's it.
Men's 100 final!
Get out!
Lyles, not the best start.
Move through them, Noah!
Move through them, Noah!
And look at this!
Look at Cravont Charleston!
Get there!
That was close!
But who got it?
BELONGING
Let's make sure
we're taking this warm-up serious,
we got some sprinting to do.
Come on, get moving, we got to be moving.
Get it done.
Runners to your mark.
Drive it, rebound off of it,
don't try to push toward it.
The US Championships
was definitely too close.
I almost missed a moment.
To the line!
For the National Championship!
Lyles in third does make
the team
Noah, you punch your way here
in the 100.
What are your thoughts about this?
This is probably the hardest
team I've ever had to make in my life.
I got third in the 100 meters.
To make the team.
I like that
I need to figure out
where is my body,
and do we need to make adjustments
going in to World Championships?
- Okay.
- Yeah, I'm seeing it. I felt it too.
You have to be comfortable
with being uncomfortable, it's part of it.
Noah made it at the USA's,
he was top three, that's all that matters.
It wasn't the result we went there to do,
you go there to win, obviously.
So we've still got a lot of work to do.
People who win races focus on them.
They know what they will do,
not what others will do.
Don't think about it,
just run through it for me.
I need to get rid of
this old Noah.
But when it's time to show out,
I'll be ready.
Good!
I can promise you that.
Very warm welcome
to London
for this final Diamond League meeting
before those
World Championships in Budapest.
Track is much bigger in London
versus the States.
It is the biggest stop on the tour.
People will know
who you are
and there will be a following.
- Is this yours?
- Yeah, it's mine.
Noah has struggled at Nationals,
so he has to win the 200 in London.
And take that momentum
as he goes into the World Championships.
You look like
a world champion's mom!
They you said you got recognized
in the bathroom?
I got recognized
in the bathroom at the mall.
Do I look cooler
on this side or this side?
- Oh my goodness.
- Both sides.
- What a great vibe, like
- That's why I keep her close.
I loved it.
I truly don't know
what to expect with London.
But nobody has won on me
in the 200,
so no excuses.
The 200 meters is
Noah's wife.
That's a joke we have
in our family.
- His wife.
- The 200 is my wife, the 100 my mistress.
That's the side chick..
Because the side chick will go
with anybody who's popular.
Mmm-hmm.
- Yeah, that's true
- But the wife is faithful.
- She'll stay with you to the end.
- She stays with you.
- That's probably not politically correct
- No, that's
- Especially for a mom to say
- It's very accurate.
Going into London,
we haven't had the ability
to run a whole lot of 200 meters yet.
It's the one opportunity
for the World Championships
We wanna prove that Noah's
the best sprinter on the planet.
Zharnel will be in the race,
he's looking good.
Zharnel Hughes is a British
sprinter who's having, by far,
the best year of his career.
What's happening? Cock-a-doodle!
My name is Zharnel Hughes.
I'm the World's Fastest Man of 2023.
Zharnel Hughes goes by,
takes the win 9.83!
He's just become
the fastest British man ever.
Yes!
It's a British record,
taking down the great
Linford Christie's record from 1993.
Big timer.
He's swift.
Now he really has
everybody's attention.
Because he is the man to beat.
He's got a better
100 meters than Noah
but Noah has a considerably
better 200 meters than he does,
so, you know, we'll see what happens.
This is my first time
racing Zharnel
since he's come off of his 100 meter.
That should give him enough confidence
for him to think
that he might be able to win.
He'd have to beat me in the 200
and that ain't happening.
When there is a big race
in London
and there is a British star
who is capable of doing really well,
it just makes it that much better.
Back in the days,
you carried your own starting blocks.
We had our own starting blocks,
and they were heavy as well.
Boy, what a thing this would be
for the race against you.
Zharnel Hughes takes on Linford Christie!
Listen, probably sold out.
Oh, this would easy.
Linford Christie is
the best British sprinter ever.
And Christie comes
through to become champion of the world!
Olympic champion, world champion.
Three times the European champion.
That is a British record
for Zharnel Hughes.
But to see Zharnel take down
Linford Christie's record finally,
was a revelation for a lot of people.
It's been a while
since we've been able to say,
"British male sprinter
in contention for gold."
Were you watching that race,
Linford? Were you tuned in?
No, we didn't see it live,
we heard about it.
One of my athletes rang me
and I thought it was a joke.
I said, "No, no no, who was that?"
And he goes, "Zharnel."
And I said, "Woah!"
And then I went
on the internet to look it up.
I could not believe it.
You can see it because you're like
I could not believe I was like, "What!?"
Never train like a champion,
always like a contender.
- Facts
- 'Cause champions have nowhere to go.
- So I always trained like a contender
- Facts.
because I wanted to get to
where they were.
I used to put a picture
of Carl Lewis under my mat.
Because he was number one!
I put him under my mat so it's
when I walk in the house,
I'm stepping on him because this is how,
- it's how much I wanted it, you know?
- That's hilarious.
Oh wow.
The level of focus mentally as
sprinters to compete is incredible.
In the British public and media,
there's going to be,
tremendous expectation
that Zharnel is going
to, come in to that meet at home and win.
- You were just the other way around.
- Were we? You go on that side.
You have to deal with
the expectations,
not only that you have,
but everyone else has of you.
That's really hard.
I'll teach you the psychology.
You walk over,
when he's bent and ready to go,
you shake his hand like this,
You don't have to shake his hand.
He's just doing that
to throw you off your game. Okay?
'Cause you'll be wondering,
on the starting line,
"Why did he come and shake my hand?"
So now your game's thrown off.
Like, for instance, the guys from the US,
they'll come up and be like, "USA, baby!"
Try to throw you off.
They do any single thing
that can get into your head.
This is one I've never used it,
but heard about it.
So you're down on the mark
and you get a bit of the track
And when he's on his mark like this,
you flick it in his lane.
Then he looks at that little thing you
just flicked, the gun will go and you run!
Someone did that?
- I would never do that.
- Really? Why?
That would be crazy
When the camera's off you can say it.
Zharnel is on his way
to putting his name
next to the great British sprinters,
including Linford.
Thank you, Zharnel.
The champion!
He could be a problem for Noah.
And if I'm thinking it
Noah is certainly thinking
it at the same time.
Set.
Good.
Up and down on it!
Yes!
Did Mark tell you the lanes?
- Zharnel's at 7
- Yeah.
Which is the best way for it to be here.
Lanes don't matter.
No, no, no, but I mean, it's just
a good time to work that out.
That's why I like that lane
with him out there,
because you can work that pattern,
see how it sets up from here.
The center lanes are the preferred
lanes, they're the best lanes,
because that's where the fastest athletes
are gonna be
and you want to be next to the fastest
so you can go get someone
or run away from someone.
I like the set up much better
coming through here.
When you stood it up like that, it was
straight down the middle of the track.
Don't cry for me Argentina ♪
You know that's going on TV.
No it's
There's nothing we could really do
that would embarrass us.
Ooh, I'm going over here.
Bye coach!
I do not go to every race.
I go to most races.
I flew to Switzerland
when he first started running,
and I'm like, "I spent all this money.
I flew all the way to Switzerland
to watch 19 seconds. What am I doing?"
My brother was like,
"No, you didn't come
just to watch 19 seconds.
You came to be emotional support."
- Hi guys!
- Hello mother.
How's it go I met your mom!
You did!
How was that meeting?
She's funny.
She has her ways.
It's nice talking to you, Mama.
Antoinette said a few minutes ago,
"You know a lot of people."
- I do?
- You do.
I've been in the sport for over 30 years.
Keep throwing it out there,
let 'em all know.
- You been around longer than me
- No, don't you do that to me.
Don't you do that to me.
My circle is so important.
They believe I could be the very best.
That's why I'm motivated to keep going.
I've missed the 200 though.
Tell you that.
It's time to run one.
- Mami. Hi.
- how are you?
- That thing is freezing.
- I know.
- Hey big dog.
- What's up?
- Hey, have a good one.
- Thanks.
Oh my days,
the fastest man on the planet.
I have to shake your hand.
- Bro, I can't believe it, man. Unreal.
- Let me take your picture.
- Yes.
- One, two All right.
- Come on.
- That looks good. You good?
Noah, bro, you gonna smash it.
- I'm here Sunday, I got tickets.
- Appreciate it, man. All right!
Noah's not afraid of
any challenge
and he has made
it his mission to elevate himself
as an athlete to transcend
the sport of track and field.
Usain Bolt occupied that title
and that space for a decade or so.
He makes it look easy.
Bolt, 200 triple!
I was a 200-meter runner,
initially.
But Carl Lewis had doubled
and set the bar so high.
So I shift my focus
so I still had that hunger.
I've been doin' this my whole life ♪
I've been doin' this my whole life ♪
I look at Zharnel and there's
so many similarities between him and Bolt,
and not just the fact they're coached
by the same man, Glenn Mills.
I prefer the fast jets.
Anything that's with speed, I love it.
They are a lot taller than most
of the guys that they run against
and their race models are very similar.
If they're close to anybody's lane,
they are going to run right by them,
the same way that Bolt did it,
it's the same way
that you see Zharnel do it
when he's in that kind of form.
Do you miss the flight
simulator when you're away, Zharnel?
Of course, man.
Listen!
I'm like, "Oh, I can't wait
to come home to you." It's like a child.
We welcome the passengers on board.
Welcome aboard
American Airlines,
we're currently across from the airport,
we'll be on our way
Did you think you were going
to be a pilot growing up?
I knew I always loved
planes since high school days.
Sometimes we got in trouble
in science class
'cause we always had pens
or pencils in our hands
and pretended to be flying a plane.
It got reported in my report book.
But my mom is afraid of planes
so she was like,
"Um I don't think I want you to do it."
Ladies and gentlemen,
welcome aboard.
I'm Captain Hughes,
today I'll be taking you to St. Martin.
So flying down to Juliana,
flight time's going to be 35 minutes
at a cruising altitude of 19,000.
Sit back, relax,
your seat belts fastened.
I knew
I always was going to be fast,
'cause I'm very determined.
My mom still have clip books
of me racing in St. Martin,
barefooted on the tracks.
My mom, she was a housekeeper,
and my dad is a taxi driver.
So they didn't have that much funds.
So when I got my first pair of spikes
I was running like a bullet on the track.
Zharnel Hughes
My first professional meet
was just about 19 years old.
I was lined up against Usain Bolt yes.
I was starstruck because this is a guy,
I've been looking up at and legendary.
I had to pinch myself a couple times
because it was like a dream for me.
And I was just like, "Oh my God,
what am I going to do?"
I turned on all the turbos
I could possibly turn on.
And I just ran for my life.
the movement of Julian Forte
that's a lot to picture,
comes in strong in lane 3,
lane 4 is Dwyer,
but Bolt leading might take this one
with a little dip there at the line.
Usain just about took me out.
Yeah, even down to the milli-milliseconds.
He was like, "What you just did, boss.
What you just did?"
Zharnel has so much potential.
I think he has so much potential,
so much potential.
He needs to believe in himself
more
and he will be one of the top sprinters.
He will compete for a gold medal
in the one and two every year.
First time I started competing
in England,
it wasn't the biggest reception.
It's almost as if I could hear almost
hear a little whispers like,
"Who is he? Where is he from?"
I saw it in the paper,
"plastic Brit Zharnel Hughes."
What does the term
'plastic Brit' mean?
I don't even know what it meant.
Honestly.
I don't know what what does it mean?
Fake Britain.
It's not a nice word.
Yeah, it's not nice, man.
Honestly, it's not nice.
Anguilla is a British colony,
many people don't know that.
From primary school,
we've been singing the British anthem.
So to be classified as a 'Plastic Brit',
almost as if I had to prove myself,
in a sense.
It, it felt a bit disgusting, honestly.
I think it's a much harsher
environment in the UK.
They're much more critical
of their athletes,
because I think track and field
is a much more prominent sport
and so I think
it would be similar to the US
of how we look at
basketball players or football players.
I've been down
some dark spots in my life
in regards to the track and field.
Erm
After Tokyo
My world completely stopped,
to be honest with you.
This is the men's 100-meter
Olympic final.
Which man will seize
his chance for sporting immortality?
Set.
That was Zharnel Hughes
of Great Britain and he knows it.
What a disaster if he gets disqualified.
If you false start, you're out.
So that's a lot of pressure and when you
think about something like the 100 meters
where you got to get it right,
it's really challenging,
especially if you have
a tendency to be jittery
or you've had false starts in the past.
His quest
for Olympic history is over
and in the worst possible way.
I felt as if I was
a ghost coming back into the village.
I felt as if my heart
has been ripped out my chest.
I couldn't sleep
the night when I got back in.
I was just sitting there in the bed,
traumatized.
Felt as if I failed
and everything came crumbling down on me.
It's hard when you have
some type of major devastation
and then to come back the next year
and try to overcome that,
it's always
in the back of your head.
And you know that people are thinking that
so you got to be really mentally tough
to be able to put yourself out there,
and reverse that.
It, it carried over into
the 2022 season as well
because I was still traumatized
about what had happened in Tokyo.
It was always about getting
the best start, getting the best start.
six third from left.
And a false start there.
Thankfully, I had a good support system
that helped me
to rise above it all afterwards.
Can you bump like this? ♪
Make 'em jump like this? ♪
Can you bump like this? ♪
Jump so high ♪
You got about ten bands on
your wrist.
Twelve!
And that Van Cleef ain't even one.
And that Van Cleef not even there!
That's the crazy part!
Don't touch me with that wrist.
I can't buy that wrist.
Put me in debt.
That's at least
my whole circuit check right there.
That's a whole bonus check right there!
- "It's not Sha'Carri, it's Sha-Carri!"
- "It's Sha-Carri!"
- She's this tiny, huh?
- She's tiny
- She's so tiny
- She's over here like
This tiny here, this tiny and this loud.
Can you bump like this? ♪
Jump so high
Electrified ♪
Track and field.
It's definitely in the blood of Londoners.
Now to build up anticipation
in the home crowd
you got to have two big names.
Zharnel Hughes now
jumping on the scene in the 100 meters.
Also a 200-meter runner,
running the 200 here tomorrow.
A lot of people are wondering
if he's really the guy
for Great Britain sprints.
He basically just took
Linford Christie out of the record books
with his 100-meter performance.
Incredible, hey.
Look at this.
Oh, I love this.
Love the feeling of this track.
Now Zharnel,
he's from Anguilla, it's a British colony,
but we don't really know how accepted
he is in the British public yet.
This moment here,
he's going to have
a chance to go head up in the 200
against the 200-meter
American record holder, Noah Lyles.
- World Champion!
- Cheese!
- Oh, it's a video!
- Whoo!
If Zharnel can pull off a victory
at home here in London against Noah Lyles,
let me tell you something, they're going
to welcome him with open arms.
Home stadium, baby.
Home stadium.
The time has come.
There's no turning back from here.
Publicizing tomorrow's
London edition
of the Wanda Diamond League,
the London Athletics Meet.
The first thing to say before even
we introduce any of the athletes to you,
is that in the last few minutes
the meeting is completely sold out.
So 50,000 tickets have gone.
Which means it's the largest
one-day athletics event in the world.
Noah, what do you think it's going to take
to win over 200 tomorrow here?
Whatever I run.
You've never raced at this stadium?
Nope.
What are your thoughts of 50,000 people,
we make a good noise here?
That's cute. That's cute.
Noah, question to you,
at the risk of making Zharnel blush.
Can you just talk about what
Zharnel's performance was in New York
when he set that time?
Um, to me it's just another person
on the map to race against.
Point Blank.
Was Zharnel always in the conversation,
- for the medals and the championship
- No.
- But he is now.
- He is now.
- Yeah
- And that's all that matters.
- Another person to beat.
- Yeah.
Noah talks.
But I am not
one of those persons who talks
I rather to show up
and show you that I'm ready as well.
I'm over here, relaxed,
I'm chill.
I'm looking like I'm not about to race
but I'm ready for you.
I'm not afraid of you.
I can look you dead in the face
and say to you, "I'm not afraid of you."
You can be the best runner
in the world,
but when I line up against you,
once I get my bit together
I'm going to give it
and that's the mindset
I come into track and field with now.
Zharnel, I wondered if
the British 200-meter record
is also in your sights?
Is that a big target for you tomorrow?
Something that's on the board,
if tomorrow it comes, I'm happy for it.
What is the British record?
19.94.
Oh we can get that.
Why you being so modest, man?
If you don't have
main character energy
track and field ain't for you.
You have to truly believe
that when you go into a race,
you're going to win every time.
I don't care if you got a bad start,
I don't care if you have a bad finish,
no matter what.
And that's what I can see
in people's eyes.
Very warm welcome to London
for this final
Diamond League meeting
before those World Championships
in Budapest.
The biggest one-day meeting crowd
in the world
for some four or five years.
50,000 people.
It's a sellout here at the London Stadium.
This should be a special one.
Zharnel Hughes, British
champion, in the shape of his life.
Can he navigate his way
through to victory here
against the double world champion,
Noah Lyles?
In the call room, you can feel
the different egos inside there.
You know, and it's tense.
You have to be ready
because everyone's bringing their A game.
I feel pretty good lined up
against him in the 200.
Knowing that he's,
you know, back to back 200-meter champion.
It's exciting.
I want to see
where I can match up as well.
I have done everything
that I possibly could
to be ready for this moment.
So I just have to trust my body to do it.
All right, gentlemen, step up
The best fans of track and field
in Europe all live in Great Britain.
When it's the biggest stage
my adrenaline is out of control.
Whoo!
Hopefully I can smash the British
record in front of 50,000 people.
It will be a memorable one
to do it on the home soil, now.
Say you want my spot ♪
Wanna take your shot? ♪
Think you're looking real hot? ♪
All eyes, I'm sure, will
be trained on Hughes, lane 7,
the British champion.
He's a qualified pilot.
I like to stay silent, and when
it comes to lining up
on that starting line,
best believe I'm very lethal.
And Noah Lyles in lane 6.
He was in a quite spiky mood,
I thought, in the press conference.
It's showtime.
I just kept breathing
because I didn't want to get too excited.
"Be composed, be composed."
That's all I kept telling myself.
You're ready for this, too.
On your marks.
This is where it's
a make or break moment.
A pure switch on in my mind.
Set.
Every moment
is made for me.
Noah Lyles in lane 6!
Can he navigate his way
through to victory here against this man?
Hughes is the target, the taller man.
Zharnel Hughes, in the form of his life.
Come on.
Oh, it's going to be very
close, this one.
Hughes and Lyles well paired.
But it's Lyles who's
stretching away.
The world champion wins it once again.
19.46 the winning time.
It's the fastest time
in the world this year.
Wow.
There's no opposition
Standing after any collision ♪
From the very beginning
In my flesh I felt this feeling ♪
I can really bring the moment
That your bein' has arisen ♪
I am proud of you!
Hey coach!
The 200 will always be mine.
That's my wife right there.
I ain't letting go of her. She mine.
I'd say today was more
of a warning shot to everybody else.
Now we may have
a British record,
the time to look out for is 19.94.
You got that.
19.73, it's a British
record for Zharnel Hughes!
John Regis' record
of 19.94 has finally gone.
So happy!
I did it right here, right here, man!
Right in front of you guys,
thank you so much for coming out.
Lots of love. I'm overwhelmed.
Before you go, I'm gonna hand you
this check, it is a British record,
you go home with
a further 5 thousand dollars.
The new British record holder,
Zharnel Hughes!
Yeah baby!
Told Zharnel that we could easily get
that British record
and he came out here and smashed it,
just like I thought he would.
I get like 10% of that, right?
Guaranteed, yeah, sure!
- Good running, man.
- You too, man. I'll see you tomorrow.
Yeah, man, sure.
We gonna see each other, don't worry.
Him winning the race,
obviously I wanted
to be a little bit more closer.
But I broke the British record
and I did it on the home soil.
And I'm more determined
to win the World Championships.
We'll get there. We'll get there.
They sent my booster for the sunrise ♪
The reflection in the mirror
Is the greatest alive ♪
It all starts in the mind
The powers that matchin' ♪
Give it 100 percent ♪
I just want to see
Oh baby!
how much I can actually push myself.
Just want to stay on that same trajectory
and keep climbing to the top.
To be the best
You gotta be the best ♪
Next stop, Budapest.
Ah, World Championships!
Next stop, a real shot at the double.
- Yes.
- For real.
Heavy is the head
that wears the crown.
It's easier to win
when you're the underdog
because the expectation is not there.
But once the expectation is there
the whole atmosphere changes.
If he wins the double,
I'll be just as happy as
if he breaks the world record.
- I mean, that's just what
- Yep.
This year is about that, in my mind.
And in his.
You have to be grounded
in who you are as a person.
So I think our team is doing a good job
in making sure his head
is strong enough to wear the crown.
I have a very strong ambition
to be the greatest
at anything I touch that I love.
That ambition to not only
understand the game,
but change it is another feeling
that I feel that I embody.
So I love the sport
but I refuse to keep it where it is.
I'm ready to go to the horizon
and then see what's beyond it.
The moment is now.
Whoo-hoo It's a do or die.
There's a lot on the line.
The Nationals is the qualifier
for the World Championships.
- Road to Budapest.
- Yes. Right there.
If you do not qualify here,
then you won't get to
the World Championships,
to the big party.
There's no room for error.
I need to first prove
to the world I am the best.
They're bringing
their A game, man.
Once you show up on the day,
it's go-time for everybody.
This is going to be a battle.
She's yet to make
a 100-meters team.
Nothing is guaranteed
and you don't get no do over.
Subtitle creation by: Lesley Taylor