Photo took on August 1, 2021 shows Chinese sprinter Su Bingtian finished 6th in the men's 100m final with 9.98 seconds, the best result for an Asian athlete in the final race. Photo: Cui Meng/GT
China's star sprinter Su Bingtian led Team Guangdong to victory in the men's 4x100m relay during the Zhaoqing leg of the 2025 National Athletics Grand Prix on Sunday. On the previous day, Su chose to withdraw from the men's 100m semifinals after setting a time of 10.49 seconds on Friday.
After the 10.49-second run in the heats, Su told the media that it might be his final race in the individual 100 meters.
"I always said I would keep running until I couldn't anymore - and now, I really can't," Su told the media.
"To qualify for the men's 100 meters at the National Games, I think I need to run around 10.11 seconds. For me, that's no longer a realistic goal."
The 35-year-old Su admitted he even felt slightly out of place competing among younger athletes.
"Most of the athletes around me were born in the 1990s or 2000s. There are very few of us born in the 1980s left," Su said. "I feel that I have persisted to the extreme and have no regrets in my sports career."
"I've been out of the systematic training and competition routine for over two years now. At this stage, I don't think my performance will change much," he said.
This is a far cry from Su's prime, when he was hailed the fastest sprinter in Asia.
He ran an Asian record of 9.83 seconds in the men's 100m semifinal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
In recent years, Su has repeatedly acknowledged that his competitive career is nearing its end.
If there is any goal keeping him going, it is the 15th National Games to be held in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area this November. Su Bingtian has repeatedly expressed his desire to make his final contribution at the National Games jointly hosted by his home province of South China's Guangdong.
"Su no longer follows a systematic training regimen and only occasionally participates in teaching activities," sports commentator Luo Le told the Global Times on Sunday. "To still be able to deliver such performances under these circumstances is truly remarkable."
Currently, Su is a professor at the School of Physical Education at Jinan University. He has established the Su Bingtian Center for Speed Research and Training at the university, focusing on the development of young track and field talent.
"Su has now shifted his main focus to sprinting research," Luo noted. "It's a path worth supporting. Although he's not coaching, his contributions to sports science are equally significant."
"There's a strong chance he will become an outstanding researcher, and his work could play an important role in developing young athletes in the future," he added.
