Proud parents praise sprinter's 'unbelievable' rise

Quiet and unassuming are not words you would normally associate with the athletes competing in the men's Olympic 100m.

But, when Sheffield's Louie Hinchliffe lines up alongside some of the biggest personalities at Paris 2024 later there will be no showboating in evidence, just a steely determination to build on his meteoric rise to fame.

Aged 17 Hinchliffe still had dreams of becoming a professional golfer, but five years on he is the first European man to win the US collegiate 100m title and was crowned British 100m champion in June.

Now as he prepares to compete against the world's best sprinters his former and current coaches agree he has a real chance of taking home the gold medal.

Hinchliffe (pictured with Olympic silver medallist Peter Elliot) showed his running talent from an early age, though had hopes of becoming a golfer

"The sky is the limit." Those were the words of nine-time Olympic gold-medallist Carl Lewis to describe Hinchliffe's potential after he clinched victory in the British Championships.

"If he runs his best, he will make the Olympic final," he added.

"Once you're in the final, you're in with a shot."

But the former Olympic sprinter and long jumper, who has been coaching Hinchliffe for the past year, is not the the first to recognise his talent.

"He's got as good a chance as whoever else is there," said Paul Hohn, who first began working with him when he was just 11.

Hohn, whose daughter Zara competed for Great Britain as a hurdler, said although Hinchliffe was untypically "shy" for a sprinter, his potential was obvious from an early age.

"I always said, both to Louie and his parents, 'I believe he will get to the top'.

"That's how I motivated him."

Hinchliffe's parents say the limelight has not changed their son

A former pupil at Notre Dame High School in Sheffield, Hinchliffe moved to America in 2023 after earning a scholarship at the University of Washington and later with the University of Houston where he began working with Lewis.

Speaking from the family home in Sheffield, his father, Stuart, a former professional goalkeeper with Leyton Orient, explained how his son's decision to move to the US helped him fulfil his potential.

"One, he's got to look after himself. Two, he's got to study. And three, he's in quite a brutal system over there that's quite competitive," he said.

"You have got to come out of your shell, otherwise you are not going to survive."

Although still "very unassuming" and "very quiet", he said his son had thrived in America under the tutelage of Lewis.

"He's been really good to him as a mentor because he's been there himself," said Hinchliffe's mum, Leilana, who is from the Philippines.

"We are really proud of him. He's still humble because he's had a Filippino upbringing," she said.

"I said to him 'Are you going to win?'. He said that's not the right question. His mentality is stay calm because he doesn't want any pressure."

Hinchliffe (pictured with 1980 Olympic 100m champion Allan Wells) represented England as a junior golfer

Stuart said "the journey isn't finished" for his son and added: "hopefully it can continue for a few more days".

"He should get through the heats, then it's finals and anything can happen.

"He's still far from the finished article. This is the first year he's really trained."

Stuart revealed his son has received "a lot of offers" from huge brands since bursting onto the scene, but wanted to first focus on Paris.

It is a scenario few could have imagined when he joined his younger sister, sprint hurdler Ellie, 20, at Hohn's coaching sessions to accelerate his progress in golf, which saw him represent England as a junior.

Hinchliffe once met 1980 Olympic 100m champion Allan Wells at a golf tournament in Spain who advised him to chose a career in that sport over athletics, Stuart recalled.

Now, he could follow in Wells' footsteps on the biggest stage.

"I wish him all the very, very best," said Hohn.

"He deserves everything he achieves."

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