From “powerful support” to personal aspirations
For more than a decade, Japan has stood out in world athletics as one of the strongest men's 4x100m relay teams on the planet.
From the silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics to fifth place at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Japanese runners have always made their opponents admire them thanks to their perfect baton passing technique and disciplined team spirit.
However, at the individual level, Japan still lacks a real breakthrough name in the men's 100m event - a measure of core speed athletes' abilities.
The one who once carried great expectations was Abdul Hakim Sani Brown, an athlete of Japanese and Ghanaian descent.
Brown made his country proud when he won a double gold medal in the 100m and 200m at the World Youth Championships (U18) in Cali in 2015, then reached the 100m final at the 2022 Eugene World Championships – an unprecedented achievement for a Japanese athlete.
But at 26, Sani Brown seems to have slowed down. His personal best of 9.96 seconds came in the semi-finals of the Paris Olympics, but it wasn’t enough to get him to the final. Worse, he hasn’t broken the 10.31 mark yet this season.
16-year-old "boy" shocks with 10 full seconds
In that context, the appearance of Sorato Shimizu was a real earthquake for Japanese athletics.
Born on February 8, 2009, Shimizu had just turned 16, but had a spectacular debut at the Japan National High School Athletics Championships with a time of 10.00 seconds (wind +1.7), breaking the U18 world record.
Previously, Shimizu attracted attention at the Japanese National Championship on July 4 when he ran the 100m qualifying round in 10.19 seconds - an impressive achievement for a teenage athlete.
However, in the semi-finals, he only achieved 10.25 seconds and missed the chance to enter the finals by a hair's breadth (0.01 seconds).
The 10.00-second achievement not only broke the 10.06 mark shared by two top athletes, Christian Miller (USA) and Puripol Boonson (Thailand) in 2023, but also met the standard for the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo set by World Athletics.
The chance to participate in the world tournament is still open.
The question now is: Will Sorato Shimizu be selected to participate in the Tokyo World Championships next September?
Although qualified, participation in the tournament depends on the selection policy of the Japan Athletics Federation.
Shimizu did not qualify for the national championship. However, as of now, Japan has only two athletes who have qualified for the men's 100m: one is Abdul Hakim Sani Brown (who is in decline), the other is qualified based on world ranking points. So, in theory, there is still a vacant spot.
However, the possibility of Shimizu being added to the 4x100m relay team is very low, because this formation requires stability, long-term baton passing practice and good coordination - something that a 16-year-old athlete will find difficult to adapt to in a few short weeks.
However, a place in the 100m individual event is not impossible. With his current progress, Shimizu is definitely worthy of consideration – not just for his 10.00 seconds, but for his limitless potential.
Clip Shimizu runs 100m in 10 seconds
Hope for the future
From a provincial high school "boy", Shimizu is on the threshold of becoming a new symbol for Japanese athletics - a symbol that is no longer only strong in the collective, but can also shine brightly in the individual track.
The emergence of Sorato Shimizu not only sparked hope among Japanese fans for a new era in short-distance running, but also served as a reminder to the world: the land of the rising sun is still quietly producing extraordinary talents, ready to break all limits.
And if everything goes right, this fall, at Tokyo's National Stadium, spectators may witness the lightning-fast run of a 16-year-old teenager - the run that opens a new chapter of great hope for Japanese athletics.
Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/the-thao/16-tuoi-chay-100m-trong-10-giay-tia-chop-nhat-ban-pha-ky-luc-the-gioi-156563.html
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