Sophie Hahn shocked by latest world record at Loughborough

Sprint superstar Sophie Hahn warmed up for the world championships in sensational style by smashing her own world record.
Hahn has twice broken the 100m world record at Loughborough EMN-170524-145535002Hahn has twice broken the 100m world record at Loughborough EMN-170524-145535002
Hahn has twice broken the 100m world record at Loughborough EMN-170524-145535002

The 20-year-old clocked 10.49 seconds to win the T38 100m at the Loughborough International meet on Sunday.

It took 0.11 seconds off her own world record, set in the 2015 IPC World Athletics Championships final in Doha.

“I was in complete shock when I saw the time,” she told the Melton Times.

Hahn training on her favourite track in Loughborough with fellow Paralympic champion Libby Clegg EMN-170524-150312002Hahn training on her favourite track in Loughborough with fellow Paralympic champion Libby Clegg EMN-170524-150312002
Hahn training on her favourite track in Loughborough with fellow Paralympic champion Libby Clegg EMN-170524-150312002

“I knew training had been going really well and I had worked very hard in winter training.

“Conditions on the day were perfect and I was up against Marlou (van Rhijn) who is a good starter so I knew I had to get away well.

“But when I first crossed the finish line I had to take a double glance at the clock; I couldn’t quite believe it. Everything just came together.”

Incredibly, it is the second time she has broken the world record at this meet.

Hahn training on her favourite track in Loughborough with fellow Paralympic champion Libby Clegg EMN-170524-150312002Hahn training on her favourite track in Loughborough with fellow Paralympic champion Libby Clegg EMN-170524-150312002
Hahn training on her favourite track in Loughborough with fellow Paralympic champion Libby Clegg EMN-170524-150312002

She knows the track at the Loughborough HIPAC intimately, training on it week in and week out under coach Joe McDonnell.

Three years ago, Russian rival Margarita Gonchorova broke Hahn’s record in Sweden, only for the former Brooksby Melton College student to snatch the record back just 24 hours later at the Leicestershire track.

“I always love competing at the Loughborough International,” she added.

“I know the track well and it’s close to home so I feel relaxed here.”

The performance sent out an ominous warning to her rivals, less than two months out from the world championships at the Olympic Stadium in London.

There Hahn will be bidding for a hat-trick of world 100m titles.

She exploded onto the scene in winning gold at the 2013 worlds within a year of taking up the sport, and retained her title in style two years later in Qatar.

Hahn, who was awarded an MBE earlier this year, completed the full set of major honours by adding European and Paralympic titles at the distance in 2016.

While talk may be of another possible world record, she is refusing to take anything for granted as she builds toward her latest race at the Olympic track.

Hahn believes there are five potential winners at the global event where she will also compete over 200m, looking to go one better than her two silver medals.

First she will compete at meets in Newham and Bedford before going into a block of hard training ahead of joining up with the British squad at a pre-championship holding camp.

She said: “It would be amazing to break the world record again, but I don’t know whether it’s going to happen.

“I know the track is very fast in London, but it all depends on the day.”

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