In Nanjing on March 21-23, Jeremiah Azu seized his first world title in the men’s 60m, winning the race just two weeks after claiming the European Indoor title.
Amber Anning, who was there watching Azu’s victory, was inspired by her team-mate’s achievement and felt even more determined to contribute to her team’s success. And that she did, as she surged to victory in the women’s 400m, narrowly defeating American Alexis Holmes to secure the gold.
The standout moment on the opening day of the competition was Azu’s victory. The 23-year-old showcased perfect from, matching his personal best with a time of 6.49 seconds. The Welsh sprinter claimed Britain’s 21st world indoor title, edging out Australia’s Lachlan Kennedy by one-hundredth of a second.
Jeremiah Azu (Getty)
Reflecting on the tense moment whilst waiting on the result, Azu said: “I was thinking to myself, I’m sure I’ve done enough. There’s no way he [Kennedy] got me. And it’s crazy because the gap was so much closer than the Europeans, but I was more sure about this one than the Europeans.
“I was thinking: ‘why is this taking so long?’ Maybe he did too because I was so sure that I got it.”
Winning the world indoor title provided Azu with a sense of validation and relief considering his recent move. He had spent the last couple of years training in Italy under Marco Airale, alongside fellow British athletes Amy Hunt and Daryll Neita. However, he and Neita left Italy earlier this year.
While Neita relocated to Florida, Azu returned to his roots in Cardiff, where he reunited with his first coach, Helen James. This move has already proven to be the right choice for Azu, who now holds two prestigious indoor titles.
Reflecting on his journey, Azu said: “I’ve had crazy life changes going on so these two medals have been mental. It’s nice to look back on and know that the decision I made to move has led me to here. It’s confirmations that I am making the right decisions.
“I’m following my purpose and all of these things are coming together at the right time. In life, you take a step and it’s scary because you don’t know whether it is going to work or not.
“When I initially moved back home to Cardiff I wasn’t feeling like myself. I was feeling slow and I was feeling heavy and that’s not what you want as a sprinter. You want to be fast and light. But the time showed for itself that we’re doing the right stuff in training and we are…
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