Jeremiah Azu And The Influence Of His Golden Winter

Since sprinter Jeremiah Azu moved back to Wales three months ago, he has won the Welsh, British, European and World indoor 60m titles.

The decision to return to the green, green grass of home has well and truly been vindicated by Azu.

The hope is that his return to Wales will also inspire the clutch of promising young Welsh sprinters already aiming to follow in Azu’s rapid footsteps.

It’s difficult not to be inspired by rise to global glory enjoyed by Wales’ fastest man, especially the story of his success in the few short months he has been home.

The 23-year-old ended his two-year stint with world-renowned sprint coach Marco Airale in Italy to return to Cardiff under the guidance of former coach Helen James.

Since the turn of the year, Azu has won every one of the 12 races he has started, bringing him championship gold medals in Cardiff, Birmingham, Apeldoorn and most recently Nanjing where he won world 60m gold last Friday lunchtime.

The Paris Olympics 4x100m relay bronze medallist  has enjoyed an unforgettable start to 2025, including becoming a father for the first time in between winning British and European gold.

Azu lined up at the Welsh Indoor Championships in January to “try and test out” a few things he had been practising in training since coming home to Wales.

The test was passed with flying colours as he stormed to his first Welsh 60m title in a new championships best time of 6.64. 

At February’s British Indoor Championships in Birmingham, Azu once again blasted to gold, this time matching his personal best of 6.56.

That performance ensured his place in the Great Britain team for the European Indoor Championships in Apeldoorn.  There he claimed gold and equalled the great Colin Jackson’s Welsh 60m record of 6.49.

Automatic selection for the World Indoor Championships in China followed.

Less than two weeks after his European success, Azu added world gold to his rapidly expanding medal collection, once again running 6.49 to pip Australia’s Lachlan Kennedy to the title.

The whirlwind few months back in Wales has left Azu brimming with confidence and perhaps more importantly contentment.

The youngster has been at pains to praise his family and coaching set up for their part in his success at each stage of his remarkable winning start to 2025.

After the win in Cardiff, Azu said: “I've been blessed with an amazing family,” he said. “I always put it down to them. I wouldn't be where I am without them, my parents, my siblings, my partner, my cousins – everyone.

“I don’t think they realise the impact they have on my life. I'm so glad that I'm able to continue this next part of my career from home, to share these moments even more with them.”

Azu added: “It’s amazing being back with Helen. She really knows how to get me in the right frame of mind for competing.”

In Nanjing, a clearly emotional Azu once again praised those around him: “Being back with my family, being back with Helen, having that support team around me is huge. They allow me to believe in myself. 

“That’s something you can’t teach someone. It’s a feeling, you just can’t teach it. It’s so important to success, it’s so important to the formula to win. You need that team, you need that belief.”

Looking ahead, Azu said: “I’m excited for the future. Like I said at Europeans, I want to take over the world, so this is just the start of my journey.

“I’ve been back with her (James) for three months now, imagine what six more months looks like, imagine what four, five years looks like. The plan is to just keep on winning.”

However, Azu isn’t just looking for personal glory. While he has clearly benefitted from his return to Wales, he also wants others to gain from his presence here.

Following his win at the Welsh champs in Cardiff, Azu stated he wants to lead the way for young Welsh sprinting talent, including his brother, Alex who claimed silver and bronze medallist Lewis Stephens, who is also part of James’ impressive training group in Cardiff.

He said: “The move back to Wales wasn’t just about me. I’m getting to train with these guys that I'm on the podium with. Lewis (Stephens), he's a good chap, my brother, I want Wales to be a country that's spoken about all over the place, you know? 

“It's not going to be easy, but that's the goal, to drag as many people as I can with me.”

There are a number of outstanding young sprinters coming through the Welsh Athletics Development Pathway, under the supervision of sprints and hurdles lead Rhys Williams – himself an Olympian and European 400m hurdle champion.

The Welsh and British Indoor Championships gave a glimpse of the kind of talent which will be attempting to cling to Azu’ coat tails.

Under-20 athlete Stephens is ranked fourth in the United Kingdom in his age group over 60m this year and reached the semi-finals at the British Championships, where another of James’ training group, GB international Sam Gordon (Cardiff Athletics) also reached the final. 

Another member of the group, Jessica Mantle (Cardiff Athletics) also competed at the UK championships and is the 5th fastest under-20 woman over 60m in the UK this year.

There were other young Welsh fliers who excelled in Birmingham. Llanelli AC’s Darcy Coslett, who has been scooping up Welsh age group records for fun, took the event by storm.

The 15-year-old, who has been hugely successful over 300m, where she is ranked number one in the UK this year, moved up to 400m at the Utilita Arena with spectacular results.

Coslett, ran a new UK under-17 record of 54.50, finishing second only to Olympic medallist Amber Anning, who last weekend won the 400m gold medal in Nanjing.

Others to shine in Birmingham included Iolo Grant (Cardiff Archers), who is the fastest under-20 athlete over 60m hurdles in the UK this year.

Grant won a silver medal on his first appearance at the championships, being pipped on the line by under-23 athlete Daniel Goriola. His sister, Menna, is ranked third under-20 woman in the 60m hurdles in the UK.

Meanwhile, Abi Pawlett (Trafford) went one better as she took gold in the women’s 60m hurdles. The Welsh under-23 multi-eventer is the fastest British women over 60m hurdles in 2025.

Harry Bradley (Newport Harriers) also competed in Birmingham and boasts the UK’s fourth fastest under-20 400m time indoors this year.

Other rising Welsh sprint stars currently leading the UK rankings include Aliyah Afolabi (Cardiff Archers), who like Coslett has been claiming Welsh titles and records by the armful. Afolabi is  currently UK number one over 200m in the under-17 age group and second over 60m.

Elsewhere, Nell Desir, who like Afolabi is coached by Lisa Whaddon at Cardiff Archers, has been one of Europe’s fastest youngsters since the age of 10.

Although she hasn’t raced extensively so far this year, Desir is one of the top 10 under-20 athletes over 60m and was the fastest UK under-17 athlete over 60m and 100m last year. 

Max Evans (Maldwyn), who along with Afolabi shone for Wales at the SIAB International in Carmarthen last summer, has the third fastest indoor 200 time in the UK this year.

At under-20 level, Zico Jones (BFT Track Academy) and Aron Tugwell (Cardiff Archers), who also ran at Birmingham, are ranked third and fourth over 200m indoors in the UK this year.

There are a number of other young guns who are also blazing a trail for Welsh sprinting including Tomi Roberts-Jones (Newport Harriers) who is the UKs fastest T37 athlete over 60m this year and Will Bishop (DSW Para Athletics) who is currently the second fastest T35 athlete over 60m.

Who knows what influence a Cardiff-based Azu blazing a trail on the global stage, will have on the next crop of promising Welsh sprinters?