Britains record-breaking sprinter has been cranking up the speed since Diamond League meeting as he prepares for Paris

With the 2024 athletics programme now in full flow, all eyes will be on the electrifying mens 100m race as the heats begin on Saturday (August 3). Will Italys Marcell Jacobs retain his Olympic crown or will USAs reigning world champion Noah Lyles sprint to victory? Perhaps the fastest man this year, Jamaicas Kishane Thompson, will seize the spotlight.

Hinchliffe qualified for the Paris Games by winning the UK 100m title in style on June 30, beating the likes of Azu, Eugene Amo-Dadzie and Reece Prescod.

The 22-year-old is coached by Carl Lewis and is currently studying management and IT at the University of Houston. He has a personal best of 9.95.

The Brit also boasts a wind-aided best of 9.84, although at 2.5m/s it was only just over the legal limit [2m/s]. Hinchliffe became the first ever European winner of the NCAA 100m title (June 7) and won that race at the iconic Hayward Field.

I think its important to go into the race believing in yourself and that you can win, Hinchliffe says. It may not happen but if I think that guy is faster than me then I might never beat them. Whatever time I get, I want to leave the race without any regrets and walk off that track happy with myself. Its not paying too much attention to those around me.

Its definitely not how it used to be with Usain Bolt. Theres not one guy who is the clear favourite. Even now, theres all this talk about whos the fastest man in the world. Its an open field, its not clear cut and theres no one leading the pack. So the win is up there for the taking.

Theres a lot of fast guys dont get me wrong but theres a lot of unpredictability and pressure. I think its great for the sport and theres a lot of anticipation going into the Olympics.

Hinchliffe initially studied at the University of Lancaster before swapping the changeable climate in Lancashire for sunny and hot Texas.

The Brit wrote to nine-time Olympic champion Lewis about the prospect of being coached and  the rest is history. Does Hinchliffe believe he would be representing his country at an Olympics if it wasnt for the move to the US?

100 per cent not, Hinchliffe says. Id have just been graduating on the same path as my friends at the University of Lancaster and looking in the job market! Moving to the NCAAs helped me unravel, has been the catalyst for this and made me start running these times. Its brought out my talent a lot.

Being in Lancaster and especially in the north of England, it was very difficult to train and to kind of find that group [for you]. You cant really push yourself.

At Lancaster I was studying management and IT. To be honest, I didnt have a clue [what I wanted to do]. One of the reasons why I chose the degree is because I didnt have a clue what I wanted to do and it was quite broad. Jobs wise I dont really have a clue. Id probably be unemployed, to be honest!

One of Hinchliffes other talents is golf. The 22-year-old got down to a handicap of one and was playing every day or sometimes even twice a day for eight years.

With a track career to focus on, he has now stopped playing but states that some of the skills from the sport have helped him in athletics, especially in the last 50m of a race.

I think where golf has helped me [in sprinting] is with temperament and patience, he says. Golf is a game that last four hours a day and its over four days.

I couldnt rush things and I use that mindset in my race plan. Like not to rush things out of the blocks and if Im not winning towards the end of the race, not to panic and have patience.

On whether hed challenge Lewis to a game of golf, he adds: It wouldnt be fair to do that! Hes competitive, isnt he? He wouldnt like it. I dont think he plays as well!