Chinese star sprinter Su Bingtian ran his final race on Thursday, finishing fourth with his teammates in the men's 4x100-meter relay at the 15th National Games to conclude a groundbreaking 21-year career.
The 36-year-old, who now serves as dean of the School of Physical Education at Jinan University, competed in front of a near full-capacity crowd in the 45,000-seater Guangdong Olympic Sports Center in a farewell for the athlete who transformed Asian sprinting.
"Although I said goodbye today, I won't leave the track field that I love. I hope in the future, I can contribute to China's track field, support young racers who love sprint to realize their dreams, as well as help generations of Chinese sprinters to take the lead and excel in international competitions," said Su.
Su's career was defined by historic milestones. In 2012, he became the first Chinese sprinter to reach an Olympic 100-meter semifinal in London. Three years later, he ran 9.99 seconds at the Diamond League in Eugene, Oregon, becoming the first Asian-born athlete to break the 10-second barrier.
By 2018, he had set multiple Asian records in the 60-meter, won a World Indoor Championships silver medal and captured the Asian Games 100-meter title in a record 9.92 seconds. His crowning achievement came at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, where he ran 9.83 seconds in the 100-meter, becoming the first Chinese man to reach an Olympic 100-meter final. He also helped China's 4x100-meter relay team win bronze.
The 15th National Games, running from Nov 9 to 21, mark the first time that the three Chinese regions, namely Guangdong Province, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and the Macao Special Administrative Region, are co-hosting the country's highest-level and largest national multi-sport event.
China's iconic sprinter Su Bingtian bids emotional farewell in final race at National Games
