Defending Champion Jeremiah Azu Turns Up Heat on Kishane Thompson, Trayvon Bromell Ahead of World Indoors

Welsh sprinter Jeremiah Azu is heading to the 2026 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Poland this week with his sights set on gold and a 17-year-old national record, sending a stark warning to Kishane Thompson, Trayvon Bromell and NCAA star Jordan Anthony.

Jeremiah Azu recently moved level with the legendary Linford Christie and surpassed the great Colin Jackson on the UK's all-time list for the men's 60m.

After clocking a personal best of 6.47 seconds in Berlin earlier this month, only Dwain Chambers and Jason Gardener have run faster. Now, Azu is confident he can eclipse Chambers' national record of 6.42 seconds, set 17 years ago. He believes it could happen as soon as this Friday (20 March) when he competes to defend his world title.

"I do want to be in the record books," Azu admitted as quoted by Olympics.com. "But for me, it’s about winning these races, and I think naturally the time comes with it. They go hand in hand."

He added, "Berlin was almost like a solo run. There was no real competition stimulus. So, once you add in the arousal from the World Indoor Championships, against some of the fastest men in history, racing for the title, 0.05… I’ve seen more come off times than that when you put people in those environments."

Jeremiah Azu acknowledges that breaking the British record might be necessary to retain his world indoor 60m crown, given the formidable field in Toruń, Poland.

US champion Jordan Anthony boasts a season's best of 6.43, while Jamaican Kishane Thompson, the world and Olympic 100m silver medallist, has run 6.46. Azu, along with Trayvon Bromell of the USA and Bryan Levell of Jamaica, has also posted a time of 6.47 in 2026.

Despite the stiff competition, when asked if he expects to win gold again, Azu's response was unequivocal: "Yeah, I believe so. I’m running fast, I’m enjoying it and I think I’ve got the advantage."

"People try and make out like it's pressure going in defending it. But I think I've got the advantage over most of the competitors there that I've actually gone and done it," he explained. "Not just thinking I can do something, but actually going through and doing it is great for the confidence."

He embraces the high expectations, referencing a team talk from years past. "I've always said I want more pressure on myself. We had a team speech a few years ago and our team captain said, ‘Pressure is a privilege.’ I think it's great to be going in as defending champion... I'm right where I want to be."

Another significant change for Azu last year was his return to Wales to reunite with his teenage coach, Helen James, after leaving his training group in Italy. The move paid immediate dividends with two international indoor gold medals.

However, Azu believes his best performances are still ahead after completing his first full pre-season under James's guidance.

"I’m ahead of where I was last year," he said. "Last year, I came back the week of Christmas, but this year, we had so much time. We could really sit down and have a proper plan of how we want the year to look. I think that's been the biggest difference."

He continued, "Last year, with all the changes, it was hard to just put weeks and weeks together. This winter, I had zero interruptions health-wise. I'm excited to just showcase what I'm capable of."

With an uninterrupted preparation period under his belt, sprinter Jeremiah Azu is feeling more confident than ever heading into a pivotal season.

"If I was able to achieve what I did last year with all the interruptions… I've had zero this year and my confidence is higher than ever," Azu stated.

The athlete highlighted his exceptional physical condition as a key reason for his optimism. "I'm fitter than ever, I'm faster than ever," he said. "We'll see what happens, but I think it's going to be a great championship."

This year holds particular significance for Azu, with two major competitions scheduled on home soil: the European Championships in Rome and the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.