Azu ‘100%’ Confident Of Olympic Gold
“Four by one we’re winning that, 100%.”
Like most sprinters, Cardiff’s Jeremiah Azu isn’t lacking in confidence. Anyone who has watched Netflix’s documentary Sprint can testify to the swagger of the world’s quickest men.
However, whilst his individual goal is to reach a first Olympics 100m final, in the 4×100 metres he believes the team will medal.
To do so, they will have to make sure they get the baton all the way around the track having failed their final change at the recent London Diamond League.
“We’ve got a strong team in the 4x100metres. I think in London, you could see we had a great first three legs and if we would have got the baton round we would have probably ran a world leading time,” said Azu, 23.
“It’s a shame for the home fans but you’ve got to look at the positives, we’ve got another shot in the Olympics. We’ll have Zharnel [Hughes] in the team and it’s going to be a super-fast team.
“It’s all about learning, you’re constantly learning you never stop learning in any aspect of life. Me and Louie [Hinchliffe] had never run together and our change went great. We’ve got another shot at the Olympics and I’m sure we’re not going to leave without something as a relay.”
Britain’s team of Azu, Hughes, Hinchliffe and one of Richard Kilty or Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake, are set for tough competition in Jamaica, USA, Japan, Italy and South Africa. It is a sign of his confidence that Azu relishes the opposition.
“Everyone’s going to have strong teams which is what you want,” said Azu.
“You don’t want to race against people you know you’re going to beat, you want to race against people that are going to give you a challenge.
“We’re competitors, we want to race against the best, but yes we’re going to come home with the gold.”
Making the Most of His ‘Gift’
Azu is a devout Christian and says that when he lines up on the start line, he is thinking of no one else other than God.
Now it’s Azu’s duty to make the most of his ‘gift’.
“It’s known that I’ve been gifted this talent. So in these moments I’m doing what He’s called me to do,” said Azu.
“Entertain people, not wasting the gift I’ve been given. One of the worst thing people can do is not fill the talent that they have, so I make sure I use it to the best of my ability.
“I think I’m doing the right things, getting there. Making sure I’m not lazy in any aspect, working hard day in day out.
“No one is going to come and hand it to you, if you don’t work for it, then it’s never going to come.”
The hard work and effort is crucial when it comes to performing. Azu’s personal best and Welsh record is 9.97, leaving no time to think.
“I try to just let it happen,” said Azu.
“I’m trying not to think of anything too specific because that’s when things go wrong. I get out great and then what happens happens, I run my own race.
“What I do shouldn’t affect anyone else what they do shouldn’t affect me. We’ve all got our lanes, it’s not a contact sport.
“You’re on auto pilot. That’s why we train so much is so that in those 10 seconds all the training comes out. That’s why you work on your technique so when you’re tired or under pressure your real self shows.”
Senior Ranks
Having been a promising junior and U23 sprinter, Azu exploded onto the senior scene in 2022 winning the British Championships in a wind-assisted 9.90 aged just 21.
The following year he won European bronze before securing his second European U23 gold in Finland in 2023.
This year is Azu’s first as a ‘senior’ athlete, however, it is something he has been preparing for since he was a teenager.
“I don’t think I’ve ever considered myself a young sprinter,” said Azu.
“Even when I was 17/18 losing to guys that were way older than me and I’d be upset and my parents would tell me ‘It’s alright, you’re young’ but to me it never felt like that. A loss is a loss.
“Officially, this year is my first as a senior, but I’ve always had that mindset, regardless of what age I’m racing.”
This year, Azu finished second at the British Championships behind young US based sensation Hinchliffe.
The result was enough for Azu to qualify for the Olympics as he’d already ran the qualifying time of 9.97, becoming the first Welshman to break the 10-second barrier in Leverkusen in May.
“I was happy, British champs is always good as my family is there and they don’t get to watch me race often as we’re all over Europe, sometimes even further places,” said Azu.
“Manchester can either be great weather or terrible, there’s never anything in between but it was a good moment to qualify for my first Olympics. The stuff you dream about. Everyone wants to do it and the standard’s never been this high.
“I know I’m in the right place because you had to make history by going sub 10 seconds to even qualify for these championships.
“I’m happy with the standard British Athletics have because I think it’s going to breed better results from the athletes because you know before you go into the Games that you’ve got the standard and can be competitive when you’re on that start line. If I can do what was asked of me before then I can make it into that final.
“Olympic final is where it’s at. The Olympics is the pinnacle of sport and the 100 metres is probably the top of that, everyone wants to see it. To be top eight there and then to go at it and attempt to get a medal is stuff everyone dreams of.”
📷 British Athletics / Getty
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