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China's Su Bingtian runs historic sub-10 second 100m in Eugene - Yahoo News
China's Su Bingtian runs historic sub-10 second 100m in Eugene
EUGENE, Oregon (Reuters) - China's Su Bingtian became the first Asian-born athlete to run a sub-10 second 100 metres when he finished third in the Diamond League meeting in Eugene on Saturday.
The 25-year-old clocked 9.99 seconds in the race won by American Tyson Gay in 9.88.
"I am so proud for my result. I can write my name into history now and will work harder and run faster," Su told Xinhua. "This is definitely a huge boost for me."
Su's time is not the fastest by an Asian athlete, however, with Qatar's Femi Ogunode having clocked 9.93 at the Asian Games in South Korea last year on his way to a sprint double.
Ogunode, though, was born in Nigeria but moved to the Gulf state in 2009 and became a naturalised citizen a year later, in time to race at the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, where he won the 200m and 400m titles.
Japanese teenager Yoshidie Kiryu ran a wind-assisted 9.87 at a meeting in Texas in March, also indicating his ability and a sign that Su's milestone may soon be surpassed.
Su's compatriot Zhang Peimeng had held the previous fastest time for an Asian-born athlete with the 10.00 flat he clocked at the 2013 world championships in Moscow, and Su hoped they would be able to replicate that at this year's worlds in Beijing.
"In Moscow, Zhang Peimeng was ranked ninth with 10 seconds, which made me feel that we are very close to entering the top eight and beating 10 seconds," Su added.
"I hope in this year's world championships, I can work some miracles for my country in 100m and 4x100m relay."
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Very proud of this!
In the field of athletics, record-setting feats bring not only national glory, but because they implicate genetics, maybe even racial glory. For the longest time, the athletes of East and South (East) Asia have constantly been trounced by white and black athletes, fueling Western perceptions that the region is inundated by short unathletic brown monkeys. In the 2012 Olympics, countries like Uganda, the Bahamas, Grenada, and Trinidad and Tobago crushed every single country in South and South-East Asia.
Athletes like Su Bingtian and Liu Xiang have been kicking down those perceptions (some of them, anyway) and are the redemption of the region.
China's Su Bingtian runs historic sub-10 second 100m in Eugene
EUGENE, Oregon (Reuters) - China's Su Bingtian became the first Asian-born athlete to run a sub-10 second 100 metres when he finished third in the Diamond League meeting in Eugene on Saturday.
The 25-year-old clocked 9.99 seconds in the race won by American Tyson Gay in 9.88.
"I am so proud for my result. I can write my name into history now and will work harder and run faster," Su told Xinhua. "This is definitely a huge boost for me."
Su's time is not the fastest by an Asian athlete, however, with Qatar's Femi Ogunode having clocked 9.93 at the Asian Games in South Korea last year on his way to a sprint double.
Ogunode, though, was born in Nigeria but moved to the Gulf state in 2009 and became a naturalised citizen a year later, in time to race at the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, where he won the 200m and 400m titles.
Japanese teenager Yoshidie Kiryu ran a wind-assisted 9.87 at a meeting in Texas in March, also indicating his ability and a sign that Su's milestone may soon be surpassed.
Su's compatriot Zhang Peimeng had held the previous fastest time for an Asian-born athlete with the 10.00 flat he clocked at the 2013 world championships in Moscow, and Su hoped they would be able to replicate that at this year's worlds in Beijing.
"In Moscow, Zhang Peimeng was ranked ninth with 10 seconds, which made me feel that we are very close to entering the top eight and beating 10 seconds," Su added.
"I hope in this year's world championships, I can work some miracles for my country in 100m and 4x100m relay."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Very proud of this!
In the field of athletics, record-setting feats bring not only national glory, but because they implicate genetics, maybe even racial glory. For the longest time, the athletes of East and South (East) Asia have constantly been trounced by white and black athletes, fueling Western perceptions that the region is inundated by short unathletic brown monkeys. In the 2012 Olympics, countries like Uganda, the Bahamas, Grenada, and Trinidad and Tobago crushed every single country in South and South-East Asia.
Athletes like Su Bingtian and Liu Xiang have been kicking down those perceptions (some of them, anyway) and are the redemption of the region.
