Japanese Sprinter Faster Than Usain Bolt And Noah Lyles As World Record Broken

A 16-year-old Japanese sprinter is already running faster times over 100 metres than both Usain Bolt and Noah Lyles across various age groups.

Shimizu Sorato, who stands at just 5ft 5in tall, is emerging as one of Asia's true great hopes in competitive sprinting.

The Asian continent has never had particular success in short-distance running, with China's Su Bingtian one of only four Asian-born sprinter to ever record a competitive 100-metre time of under 10 seconds.

Su reached the 100m final at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics before finishing in sixth place with a time of 9.98 seconds.

But he is now 36 years of age, and didn't qualify for the Paris 2024 Games.

Shimizu, meanwhile, set an under-18 world record in July when he ran a time of 10.00 at a All Japan High School Championships meeting in Hiroshima.

That was a quicker time than Bolt managed when he 20 years old, though the Jamaican only began running over 100m competitively at that same age, having focused primarily on 200m prior to then.

Shimizu is already focusing on qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, and wants to break the 10-second barrier after he turns 17 in February.

He told the official Olympics website: "I'm 16 now and next year, when I'm 17, I hope to run a sub-10.

"After that, three years down the road, when I'm 19, 20, I want to compete at the Los Angeles Olympics.

"I want to run a 9 while I'm still in high school so, for now, that's what I'm working towards.

"People found out about me. I'm aware there are more people watching me now. I feel the support in that regard. It's nice to have people rooting for you."

In September, he was selected as part of Japan's 4x100m men's relay squad for the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.

Shimizu was picked as part of a seven-strong Japanese contingent, and although he acted as a reserve at the event and didn't get to compete,

The head of the Japanese delegation, Yamazaki Kazuhiko, admitted that Shimizu had been chosen as an 'unknown quantity' and because Japan wanted as many different options as possible.

"It's very difficult for him to run at the senior level on a regular basis given the rules," he said. "But we are counting on his unknown quantity which allowed him to run a 10.00."

Athletics fans will likely see much more of the 16-year-old in the years ahead.