Afrigather Some 40 years in the past on August 4, 1984 on the Los Angeles Olympics, historical past was made when then 23-year-old Carl Lewis emulated his childhood hero Jesse Owens changing into the primary athlete since Owens to win gold within the 100m, 200m, lengthy bounce and 4x100m relay.
The Los Angeles Video games the place Lewis received these 4 gold medals couldn’t have been extra completely different to the notorious 1936 Video games in Berlin.
Owens was the son of a sharecropper and the grandson of slaves. His victories weren’t simply part of sporting historical past, however symbolic as nicely of a defiant blow to Adolf Hitler’s makes an attempt to make use of the Video games as an illustration of Aryan superiority.
Owens and Lewis, each born in Alabama, are nonetheless the one athletes to have received these occasions at a single Olympic Video games.
So in 1984, historical past had repeated itself, and one other star was born. Lewis went on to win 5 extra Olympic gold medals, an Olympic silver medal and 10 World titles.
Precisely 40 years to the day on August 4 2024, the Olympic 100m ultimate will happen in Paris.
And this time, there’s one other connection to Lewis. A connection who was born and raised in Sheffield, whose childhood hero was Wayne Rooney and who solely began taking the game – and his expertise – critically a 12 months in the past.
Enter, Louie Hinchliffe – a Brit Lewis now coaches…
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Favorite Olympics reminiscence? Proudest achievement? Get to know 100m NCAA and British Champion Louie Hinchliffe forward of the Paris Olympics…
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In Might, 21-year-old Hinchliffe took the world of monitor and discipline by storm when he certified for the NCAA finals (the US college athletics championships), crossing the road in a time of 9.84 seconds. It was wind-assisted, so not authorized, however the time was the second-fastest all-condition 100m time in British historical past.
Subsequent up for Hinchliffe was the US collegiate finals.
It is troublesome to elucidate how aggressive and prestigious the NCAA finals are, and the way excessive the usual is for the 100m on the Championships particularly. Previous winners embody Namibia’s four-time Olympic silver medallist Frankie Fredericks, 2004 Olympic champion Justin Gatlin, in addition to the likes of Christian Coleman, Andre De Grasse and Trayvon Bromell in more moderen years.
And never forgetting two different US Olympic legends who’ve received the occasion – Owens – who received the identical 12 months as his Olympic gold in Berlin, and Lewis, who received in 1981, three years earlier than his first Olympic gold.
However for the reason that inaugural NCAA 100m ultimate in 1921, no European man had received the occasion. That’s, till Metropolis of Sheffield AC’s Hinchliffe received this 12 months.
Hinchliffe stormed to victory in a time of 9.95 seconds. A sub 10-second run, once more – however this time, it was authorized. The time positioned him sixth on the British all-time checklist.
Hinchliffe is now coached by legendary American sprinter Carl Lewis
He nonetheless needed to qualify for the Olympic Video games, and replicating the identical degree of efficiency on a wet weekend in Manchester on the finish of June can be tough for anybody used to coaching in Texas, the place Hinchliffe is predicated, on the College of Houston the place he research.
However that is precisely what Hinchliffe did when he received the British Championships and Olympic trials by crossing the road in a time of 10.18 seconds to beat 2022 British champion Jeremiah Azu, in a race the place 2023 champion and nationwide record-holder Zharnel Hughes was absent.
Earlier this month, Hinchliffe was introduced within the official Crew GB athletics squad for Paris. A whirlwind few weeks, which might be solely just the start of a promising profession backed by one of many sport’s largest names in its historical past.
“It is type of been loopy. I am not having a lot time to type of look again at all of it, so yeah it is simply been a little bit of a loopy expertise,” he advised Sky Sports activities.
“I feel each race I’ve executed this season is I’ve given all the things, and I’ve not had any remorse about it after I completed, even when I did not win the race.
“I wish to get the win [at the Olympics]. I wish to attempt to get gold.”
Hinchliffe has run below 10 seconds twice in a present of his expertise
Fortunately, the one who is teaching him is aware of a factor or two in regards to the strain of an Olympic Video games. Lewis requested Hinchliffe to return to Texas with him to coach earlier than his subsequent race – the London Diamond League, which takes place on the London stadium on July 20.
Standing on the beginning line of one of many most thrilling Diamond League races of the 12 months, after starting the season with a private better of 10.17 seconds places into perspective simply how transformative the previous few weeks have been for Hinchliffe. And it began with him sending Lewis a message asking if he might coach him.
“9 months in the past, [Hinchliffe] gave me a textual content message, and 9 months later, he is profitable the Olympic trials in Nice Britain,” Lewis advised Sky Sports activities.
“However not solely that, he is profitable as a result of he is operating nicely.
“Tom Tellez, my coach, taught it, and I am instructing his system. So to see [Hinchliffe] decide it up, have the boldness to try this – as a result of that is what it’s; loads of children are scared to vary after which to embrace it and realise, ‘hey, I can do that’ – it is unimaginable.”
Hinchliffe has a fearless perspective, however continues to be extraordinarily calm, and crucially, nonetheless having enjoyable with all of it. He places his achievements this season right down to how a lot Lewis has helped him mature, “on and off the monitor.”
“I’d say I did not actually take coaching too critically. I did not actually perceive how critical it’s. So [Lewis] helped me mature rather a lot as an individual.
“My method was very flawed. I wasn’t actually a pure runner, so he helped me so much with that – understanding my rhythm and the way to run the 100 meters.”
Hinchliffe stated Lewis solely began speaking to him about representing Crew GB and qualifying for the Olympics after the indoor season.
“I wasn’t operating that nicely,” he stated. “I feel [Lewis] thought it’d take an additional 12 months, however I began operating a bit higher. After which he had a take a look at the [British] roster and stated it is loads of guys who’ve been on the crew now 10 plus years. So it is time now for a youthful man to step in.”
And step in, a youthful man did. However how a lot did Hinchliffe, born in 2002, learn about Lewis?
“To be trustworthy, I did not actually know a lot about him,” he laughed, explaining that it wasn’t till he noticed folks asking to have their photographs taken with Lewis that he realised how well-known he was.
Hinchliffe admits he didn’t know a lot about Lewis previous to being coached by him, including his father couldn’t consider it
Hinchliffe stated he advised his Dad who his new coach was and he could not consider it.
It was additionally his dad Stuart, a former goalkeeper for Leyton Orient, who at all times inspired Hinchliffe to pursue his athletics profession fairly than different sports activities.
When he was youthful, Hinchliffe was scouted by Manchester Metropolis academy and requested to go to trials, however his dad stated no – he needed to concentrate on athletics. Golf was additionally inspired too – and why would not you in case your son had a handicap of 0.7?
“I used to be enjoying with Alex Fitzpatrick and Barclay Brown. Seeing them first-hand, it was type of like, ‘yeah, I am not that good, so I am not going to make it'”, Hinchliffe laughed.
So are there any athletes in monitor and discipline that he appears to be like so far?
“Not likely,” he stated. “Usain Bolt, again within the day. However nobody at the moment operating.”
Lewis has already stated that if Hinchliffe runs his greatest, he believes he’ll make the Olympic ultimate.
And with one among Lewis’ largest rivals within the 100m, Linford Christie, being the final British man to win the 100m on the Olympics, it might absolutely make it a fair sweeter win for Lewis if Hinchliffe broke that cycle.
