Meet Sheffield sprinter Louie Hinchliffe who has fired himself into Olympics mix after running 100m in 9.84 seconds

Louie Hinchliffe was just as shocked as everyone else. ‘I couldn’t really believe the time,’ says the Sheffield sprinter. ‘I was like, “Damn, that was fast”.’

That is one way of describing his remarkable 100metres run last Friday, when the University of Houston student clocked an astonishing 9.84sec to catapult himself into contention for the Paris Olympics.

Hinchliffe was assisted by a tail wind of 2.5m/s – 0.5 over the legal limit – so his eye-catching time did not count as a personal best, which remains the 10sec he set in the previous round of regional qualifiers for the National Collegiate Athletics Association Championships.

However, it was still the quickest all-condition 100m in the world this year, and the second fastest ever by a British man, after Zharnel Hughes’ national record of 9.83sec last year.

‘That is pretty cool,’ says the 21-year-old when told of those statistics. ‘Some people have calculated it would have been 9.89 with perfectly legal wind, but I don’t really think you can calculate it.

‘I'm not too bothered about it not counting. I would rather save it for a big meet, like when I’m back in Manchester. It can count then.’

Manchester is where the British Olympic trials are being held on June 28 – a date that has suddenly gained extra importance for Hinchliffe.

‘I didn’t think the Olympics were possible,’ admits Hinchliffe, speaking to Mail Sport from his university digs in Houston shortly after returning from the meet at Arkansas.

‘I was always like, “I’ll try to make the team but I don’t know how close I will get”. So it’s a bit surreal that I’m coming into the picture now. I kind of can’t believe it.’

Even a week ago, the little-known Hinchliffe was not in the picture at all, having never run faster than 10.16sec. Last summer, he was only ranked 11th of Britain’s 100m runners. Two years ago, he had all but given up on athletics as he partied in his fresher year at Lancaster University, where he studied management and IT.

‘I didn’t practise or do any training when I was there,’ says Hinchliffe, who did not even make the podium of the British University Championships while at Lancaster. ‘I was just a regular student, doing first year student things!’

That all changed, though, when Hinchliffe started to train seriously again in the summer of 2022 and went on to win the England Athletics 100m title. With his passion for running revived, he decided to try and make a career of it by applying for a sports scholarship in the States.

Hinchliffe, whose father is from Rotherham and mother is from the Philippines, was accepted into Washington State in January 2023, before transferring to Houston last August. There, he is coached by legendary nine-time Olympic champion Carl Lewis, who he credits for his incredible improvement.

‘It’s been a lot of hard work but I put it down to being here in Houston and being coached by Carl,’ says Hinchliffe, who has not yet lost his Yorkshire accent.

‘You can’t really pick a better person to have as a coach. He is a legend. I am just thankful for the opportunity to be coached by him.

‘It’s about making sure I listen to him and take it all in because he knows what he is talking about.

‘He is strict but in a good way. He is trying to help you. Everything he says, it has meaning behind it. I just listen.

‘Last year, I was a bit immature, I wasn’t really taking care of my diet, not really training as hard as I probably should have been. I came in quite heavy but I have managed to get my weight down and get my technique right.

‘There has been lots of technical work because I’m not really a natural runner. I wouldn’t say I run elegantly. I kind of run like I’m running away from a dog or like I am holding a rugby ball!’

With his stocky 5ft 8in fame, Hinchliffe could pass as a scrum half. But it was another ball sport he excelled in during his school years, playing club and county golf alongside Alex Fitzpatrick, the DP World Tour pro and younger brother of former US Open winner Matt.

Nine years ago, they were part of the same Hallamshire junior team that were crowned national champions and went on to represent England in the Home Nations Inter-Club Championship.

‘My mum and dad wanted me to be a professional golfer,’ admits Hinchliffe. ‘I was in all the regional squads when I was younger. I got my handicap down to one.

‘But I didn’t really have the temperament for it. I always struggled with the patience. A round of golf is four hours. Track is 10 seconds.’

Hinchliffe gave up golf in 2021, but says he is looking forward to getting his clubs out this summer. How much time he will have to play, however, will largely depend on his performance in Manchester in a month’s time.

He has already met the required Olympic qualification standard with that run of 10sec. But he must finish in the top two at trials to guarantee himself one of Britain’s three 100m places in Paris.

There are also spots up for grabs in the 4x100m relay. Hinchliffe was asked about his availability to be part of Britain’s relay squad at next week’s European Championships, but it clashes with the NCAA Championships in Eugene, where he will go for gold for Houston.

‘Hopefully the NCAAs go well, then I am going back to Sheffield to see my family before the trials in Manchester,’ adds Hinchliffe.

‘I’ve not run in the UK for a while. There might be something in the air here in America that makes it easier to run fast. But I’ve obviously got to think I’ve got a chance. I’ve got to believe in myself.

‘I have represented Great Britain at Under-20s, but not at senior level. To do that at the Olympics would be amazing.’