Great Britain's world and European indoor 60m champion Jeremiah Azu (© Getty Images)
Try as he might, Jeremiah Azu just can’t take himself seriously on the start line for a sprint.
In the past, when he employed such a tactic, the times were not reflective of what he was showing in training. So instead, he flicked a switched and decided wholeheartedly to simply emulate his practice approach.
“I try to take things really seriously and to get in the zone, but it just doesn’t work for me and I’m not sure why,” he explained.
“But when I’m being myself and treating a race like training and having fun, I find my best results. What you see is what you get, there’s no fakery, no facade.
“In my head, I’m being paid to do what I love and get to race against the fastest people in the world. I get to test my nerve and it’s just so enjoyable. How could I not be happy?”
Whatever the approach, the early signs in 2025 indicate his approach is working. He has won world, European and British 60m titles indoors already this year and is aiming to replicate the speed and results outdoors.
And, in conversation in the build-up to the World Athletics Relays Guangzhou 25, there is an infectiousness to his personality.
Jeremiah Azu wins 60m gold at the World Indoor Championships in Nanjing (© Getty Images)
Despite the confidence and results, there is also a deep-seated humility, which was reflected on his return in his first service back in Wales at the church where his father is the pastor.
“It was on Mothering Sunday – a Mother’s Day special,” he said. “It’s nice to get a little attention but I didn’t want to take away from the mothers, so I tried to be as low key as possible. Naturally with my father being the preacher, there’s going to be a mention of me, but I tried to keep the focus on the mothers.”
Motherhood is front and centre in his thinking. Currently on a stint in China, he made his 100m season debut in Xiamen and finished third in a time of 10.17 before running 10.19 in Keqiao, and is now fine-tuning his preparations for Guangzhou.
But, at the same time, he has left his partner Terri back at home with their baby son Azaire, who was born just before Azu’s European gold for what has proved a life-changing spring on and off the track.
He admits to missing the pair but, as a young parent, he is also not ashamed to have embraced the sustained unbroken sleep.
“I’ve been teasing my partner a bit on that,” he said. “I get some messages in the night that I wake up to, or else I get them when I’m awake and say to her ‘you should be sleeping’ but she’s like: ‘we’ve got a baby and one of us has got to look after him!’
“So, it’s been a bit of fun on that front. And when I get back, I’m sure it’s back to a rollercoaster, it’s drop the bags and straight into it,” and he imitates having a baby being thrust instantaneously into his arms on his return.
His son’s arrival has meant that immaterial of his track results, it was always going to be the springtime of his 23-year-old life. And nothing in racing can eclipse what’s happened in his family life.
Although he argues it has helped his running cause.
“Now every single thought process includes my family, and it’s helping me to focus on my track in a different way,” he said. “When I leave the track, I have so many other big things to worry about so I don’t let a bad session get to me too much, as I have a whole new life depending on me.”
As a parent, life has changed immeasurably but, as an athlete, he insists life remains relatively the same despite his golds in Apeldoorn and then Nanjing. He can go to the shops unnoticed, in fact only in recent days in China – the scene of his biggest triumph – has he noticed the volume of recognition for his achievements.
His indoor season has been a sliding doors moment. He was 48 hours away from pulling out of his national trials because of an injury niggle, which would have negated his selection for the British team.
“We nearly had to scrap indoors, I was two days away from not competing at the British trials so, with that, it’s been a surprise,” he admitted. “In that moment, I could have lost hope, but I stuck through it. That 48 hours could have changed everything.”
His breakthrough arguably came outdoors after the blow of disqualification at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in the individual 100m, when he bounced back to be part of the British 4x100m quartet that won bronze.
And he is relishing the opportunity to reunite with his national colleagues in Guangzhou, albeit in a new-look line-up with just one of his fellow medallists from Paris in Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake.
Jeremiah Azu and his GB 4x100m teammates Zharnel Hughes, Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake and Louie Hinchliffe in Paris (© Mattia Ozbot for World Athletics)
“GB’s always in there in the relay mix so it’ll be great to be back in the team,” he said. “It’s great to have individual success but as a team it means a lot. In 20 years’ time, I’ll look back to the guys I ran with. Athletics is such an individual sport so to be able to share those moments in the relay, those moments stay with you.”
Even with a change in personnel, he believes the British quartet will once again be podium contenders in Guangzhou thanks to the current sprint strength in depth. And he is similarly confident he can translate his explosive indoor form to outdoors with targets of winning the national championships later this summer and being in the medal mix come the World Championships in Tokyo in September.
“I’m more motivated than ever,” he said. “It’s given me confidence to know I’m part of the world’s best. It’s something I’ve always known but now the world knows it and week in, week out, I’m getting to race the best in the world.”
Last year, Azu was finishing off a second year training with Marco Airale’s group out in Italy before making the decision to relocate home and reunite with the coach who first inspired him to take up the sport at the age of 17, Helen James.
He is grateful for and feels enriched by his Italian journey but has clearly been inspired by the reunion.
“Starting to work with Helen changed my life initially,” he admitted. “It’s good to be back where I started and I’m so grateful to her.
“She didn’t give up on me. She was always so welcoming to me, checking up on me, and when I think about it I do get a bit emotional as she’s truly been like a mother figure to me. She’s got a lot of love and time for me becoming the best version of myself.”
That best version materialised during the indoor season, and Azu argues a better version might still be on the horizon.
Matt Majendie for World Athletics
