British sprinter Zharnel Hughes was at the lowest point of his life when he was disqualified from the men's 100m final for a false start at the Tokyo Olympics. 

Speaking after the dramatic event, he pointed the finger at the cramp in his left calf as he took his position in the starting blocks. "I'm really heartbroken," he added. "Wrong time and wrong place."

Nearly two years later, Hughes managed to turn the tables by becoming the fastest British runner in history. 

The 27-year-old clocked a sensational 9.83 seconds at the New York Grand Prix on Saturday, smashing the previous British record set by Linford Christie when he won the 1993 World Championships by four-hundredths of a second.

According to World Athletics, Hughes' new record is the fastest time in the world this year and would have earned him a silver medal at Tokyo 2020. It's also the second fastest ever recorded by a European athlete, beaten only by reigning Olympic champion Marcell Jacobs (9.80).

Racing in the same stadium where Usain Bolt set his first world 100m record of 9.72 a few weeks before the Beijing 2008, Hughes overcame a slow start and beat Jamaica's Ackeem Blake and the American Christian Coleman to come out on top in a world-class field.

Hughes' winning time is the second fastest 100m ever recorded in New York. The only runner to have gone quicker is none other than Bolt.

"I woke up with a dream this morning," said Hughes after the incredible triumph. "I woke up with 9.83 on my mind... When I looked at the clock and saw 9.83, I don't know if you saw my reaction, but I was like, 'What just happened there?' It actually came through.

"Manifestation is real. Anything is possible. The great thing is we haven't started speed work yet. This is just raw speed and endurance."

On breaking Christie's record, Hughes said, "I always give respect to Linford. He always supports me every time I'm in the UK, and sometimes he helps out with my training sessions. I'm looking forward to seeing him, shaking his hand, and telling him that this is long overdue."

When asked about his huge disappointment in Tokyo and some bad results in recent seasons, Hughes said, "I'm not sure many people expected this, but patience is the word. It's amazing and something I've been working toward for a while.

"I dug deep and I pulled myself out of a dark space. I relaxed more, put the work in, trusted myself and trusted my speed."

Before Saturday's race, Hughes' personal best had been 9.91, which he set in 2018. He attributed his significant progress in recent times to the attentive guidance of his coach Glen Mills, the same man who mentored Bolt.

"Mills is great," said Hughes. "He coached the fastest man in the world and he has an eye for error and will critique everything he sees."

"Anything is possible," added Hughes, who has set his sights on the upcoming World Championships in Budapest. "The great thing is, we haven't started speed work yet, so this is just raw speed and endurance. My coach is going to be elated."

British male sub-10s 100m sprinters

9.83 - Zharnel Hughes, New York 2023
9.87 - Linford Christie, Stuttgart 1993
9.91 - James Dasaolu, Birmingham 2013
9.93 - Reece Prescod, Ostrava 2022
9.93 - Eugene Amo-Dadzie, Graz 2023
9.96 - CJ Ujah, Hengelo 2014
9.96 - Joel Fearon, Bedford 2016
9.97 - Dwain Chambers, Seville 1999
9.97 - Adam Gemili, Birmingham 2015
9.98 - Jason Gardener, Lausanne 1999
9.99 - Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake, Columbia 2017