Su Bingtian hints at retirement after illustrious sprint career

BEIJING: China’s sprint icon Su Bingtian, the first Asian man to officially break the 10-second barrier in the 100 metres, has hinted that his glittering career may have reached its final stretch. The 35-year-old struggled at a recent domestic meet, clocking 10.49 seconds in the heats of the Grand Prix event in Guangdong, casting doubt on his ability to remain competitive.

Known as the “Asian flying man,” Su etched his name in history with a blistering 9.83 seconds at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, setting an Asian record and becoming only the second Asian to reach an Olympic 100m final after Japan’s Takayoshi Yoshioka in 1932.

Su, the son of Guangdong farmers, had hoped to end his career at China’s National Games in November. However, after his latest performance, he admitted: “If I can’t continue to bring an advantage to my team, I don’t think there is any need to run on. I’ve done everything I could to the best of my ability, and I have no regrets in my career.”

Despite individual struggles, Su’s legacy extends to the team level—he helped China finish fourth in the 4x100m relay at the Tokyo Olympics, later upgraded to bronze following Britain’s disqualification.

While hinting at stepping away from solo sprints, Su hasn’t ruled out contributing to Guangdong’s relay team at the National Games. He also expressed a desire to stay close to athletics in retirement, ensuring his enduring impact on Chinese sport.(Reuters)