Sprint star, 16, beats Usain Bolt's 100m record at same age and outshines Gout Gout
Athletics has a new sensation in the form of an unheralded Japanese sprinter who has outpaced the likes of Gout Gout and Usain Bolt, while etching his name into the annals of history. Sorato Shimizu, at just 16 years old, has set a new under-18 100m world record at Japan's Inter-High School Championships.
In doing so, he met the entry standard for the World Athletics Championships. The high school junior, who doesn't celebrate his 17th birthday until February 2026, clocked an impressive time of 10.00 seconds.
His performance was quicker than the Japanese high school record set by Yoshihide Kiryu in 2013, who later competed in the Olympic Games. It also surpassed the 10.04 time posted by Australian up-and-comer Gout Gout, and the 10.03-second sprint set by Bolt at the age of 20 - albeit, the latter dedicated himself more to the 200m discipline.
Competing in Hiroshima on Saturday, Shimizu's time ranks as the fifth fastest in Japanese history, irrespective of age. This remarkable run, deemed legal with a tailwind of +1.7, has potentially paved the way for him to compete in the world championships on home turf, reports the Mirror US.
Shimizu, a student at Seiryo High School in Ishikawa Prefecture, could represent Japan in the World Athletics Championships taking place in Tokyo this September.
Speaking about his result, he said: "I was determined to run under 10 seconds heading into the final. I'm happy to have set a high school record. I'd like to get a taste of [the World Championships] if I can make it."
Gout's personal best in the 100m was not deemed wind legal, meaning Shimizu bettered the previous U18 100m record of 10.06 seconds, which was held jointly by Puripol Boonson of Thailand and American sprinter Christian Miller.
Video footage of the race showed just how commanding Shimizu's display was, as he surged ahead within the first 10m and never looked threatened, cruising to victory by an enormous distance.
He added to NHK: "The 10.00-second time was shocking even to me, but I'm happy I was able to achieve it. Winning was my goal, so I focused on running my own race without hesitation.
"From the start, I was able to connect to my signature 'second acceleration' and execute the movements I couldn't do in the preliminaries, so that was good."
Shimizu currently sits at No. 377 in the world rankings, but should he repeat Saturday's breathtaking display, his position is certain to climb dramatically.
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