Jeremiah Azu knows what to improve to compete with world’s top sprinters

After finishing third in the 4x100m medley relay on the opening day of the World Athletics Ultimate Championships, sprinter Jeremiah Azu crashed out in the 100m semi-finals.

The British runner knows exactly what he needs to do to take his race to the next level and compete with the world’s best, but the challenge now is to put it into practice.

The Welsh sprinter, who will marry his long-term partner Terri later this month, wrapped up his season at the World Athletics Ultimate Championships in Budapest. After being part of the 4x100m medley relay team that finished third in the inaugural edition of the new event, he crashed out in the semi-finals of the 100m.

Jeremiah Azu’s time of 10.13 seconds was in line with his best performance for most of the season. The 25-year-old made a strong start before the rest of the field caught up with him. And if Jeremiah Azu wants to establish himself among the elite in the discipline, he knows that the middle part of the 100-meter distance is the area he needs to improve.

He said: “I think this year has been like that – ups and downs. Yeah, that describes it well. This run was the same as I do all year. I start out good, the middle part is kind of prickly, you know, like a pineapple stuck in there, and then at the end I get back into the game.”

“So if I can fix that, I know I’ll be among the best. I’m probably in the top three for about 30-40 meters, and then in the middle everyone’s catching up to me, passing me, and in the last part I’m trying to catch up to them. But at this level you can’t afford that.”

“It’s good to know what needs to be fixed. I think my speed is decent. The problem is I lose it in the transition phase, like I’m getting stuck under myself. It’s good to know what the problem is because I have a long winter to try to fix that.”

Aside from her upcoming wedding, Jeremiah Azu will turn her attention to defending her European 60m indoor title in Valencia next year. Then comes the World Outdoor Championships in Beijing, so it’s another busy 12 months ahead of the Los Angeles Olympics. And having been consistent enough to secure a place among the elite in Budapest, Jeremiah Azu is already aiming for more.

He added: “Next year we have the European Indoor Championships and then the World Championships in China, so it’s another busy calendar, but it’s going to be fun. We love doing it. We’ll take a break and come back.”

“This is my first time competing in the Ultimate Championship and being a part of it… I think it says a lot about the level we’re at because it’s not guaranteed to be here. You have to go out, compete in tournaments, have good rankings to get here. So, yeah, it’s been a great year.”