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Teenage sprinter Zharnel Hughes has completed his transition to Team GB ahead of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.
The 19 year old, who was born in the British territory of Anguilla, has held a British passport since birth, and he isn’t the first athlete to make the switch. In 2010, fellow Anguillan Shara Proctor, who participates in the long jump, switched to compete for Team GB at London 2012, as have American’s Cindy Ofili, Shante Little and Montene Speight, along with Sweden’s Victoria Dronsfield.
Hughes’s training partner is six time Olympic champion Usain Bolt, and the young sprinter has already been compared to the Jamaican.
“Bolt’s a major motivation. He is always telling me to do this and that,” Hughes said.
Hughes has already shown impressive potential, breaking Jamaican sprinter Yohan Blake’s 100m junior record at just 10.12 seconds, narrowly missing his trainer Bolt’s record in the 200m also.
The main reason for a number of Anguillan nationals to make the switch is because the country isn’t recognised by the International Olympic Committee to compete in the games.
With Hughes almost certain to represent Team GB in Rio, he is placing his focus on the World Championships in Beijing in August before the prestigious event.
“The target is the Olympic Games for sure but right now I am focusing on the World Championships,” said Hughes.
“Execution is key all the time for me. I want to get to the World Championship and get my times
