Asia’s fastest man Su Bingtian hints at retirement: ‘I really can’t run any more’
Chinese sprinter’s 100m heat time of 10.49 seconds at the Grand Prix in Guangdong is some way off National Games qualifying mark of 10.11
Asia’s fastest man may have run the final 100 metres sprint of his career after withdrawing from the National Athletics Grand Prix last week.
Su Bingtian, who set the continental record at the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021 with a best-ever 9.83 seconds run, failed even to reach the National Games qualification target.
The Chinese runner’s heat time of 10.49 at the Grand Prix in Guangdong on Friday was some way off the 10.11 benchmark required for the National Games and saw him pull out before the semi-final to focus on Sunday’s men’s relay.
Su, 35, said the Grand Prix – only his second 100m race since the World Championships in Oregon in July 2022 – was “a test for myself to check my competitiveness”.
“The time for this race, or any other 100m sprint in May, June or July won’t differ much,” he said following last week’s heat. “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.
“If I can’t continue to bring an advantage to my team, I don’t think there is any need to run on. I’d said I would run until I couldn’t run any more, and I did it.