Daijiworld Media Network- Beijing
Beijing, Apr 15: China’s legendary sprinter Su Bingtian, famously dubbed ‘Asia’s fastest man,’ has hinted that his celebrated sprinting career may have come to an end. The 35-year-old athlete, who made history by becoming the first Asian to break the 10-second barrier in the 100 metres, struggled to make an impact at a recent domestic meet, clocking 10.49 seconds in the heats.
A native of Guangdong and the son of farmers, Su carved his name into athletics history with his record-setting 9.83-second dash at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020, a feat that still stands as the Asian record. He also became only the second Asian sprinter to reach an Olympic 100m final since Japan’s Takayoshi Yoshioka in 1932.
Speaking to Chinese media following his performance at the Grand Prix event in Guangdong, Su said, “The time for this race, or any other 100m sprint in May, June or July, won’t differ much. So, I thought before the race, if the result is good, there will be another one, but if the situation isn’t ideal, it might be my last one.”
Su had originally aimed to retire after China’s National Games in November but now feels the time is right to step aside. “If I can’t continue to bring an advantage to my team, I don’t think there is any need to run on,” he remarked. “I said I would run until I couldn’t run any more, and I did it. Now I really can’t run any more. I have done everything I could to the best of my ability, and I have no regrets in my career.”
Beyond his individual accomplishments, Su was also instrumental in China’s fourth-place finish in the 4x100m relay at the Tokyo Olympics. The team was later elevated to the bronze medal position following Britain’s disqualification for doping.
Despite stepping back from individual events, Su expressed his intent to compete in the relay at the upcoming National Games. “I will see if I can still bring some edge to the relay team in the race,” he said.
Looking ahead, Su affirmed that his bond with athletics remains strong. “I will, for sure, stay around the sport to give back what I’ve learned from decades of training and racing at the highest level to Chinese athletics,” he said, signaling a future dedicated to nurturing the next generation of sprint talent in the country.