Su Bingtian sets 9.99 and broke 10s barrier in 2015 Prefontaine Classic

China's SU BINGTIAN became the second "white man" and first Asian-born athlete in history to have gone sub 10 seconds in 100m with a time of 9.99 (+1.5) during the 2015 Prefontaine Classic, a Diamond League Series in Eugene, Oregon USA on 30 May 2015.

For a record, a non-African descent CHRISTOPHE LEMAITRE of France became the first white man to break the 10s barrier after setting 9.98 (+1.3) in 2010 French national championships.

In addition, Australian PATRICK JOHNSON whose father is an Irish, and mother an indigenous Australian is also considered from non-African descent. Johnson has a lifetime best of 9.93 in 100m, but also a wind-assisted of 9.88.

The 5'8" Bingtian also became the 99th sprinter to crack the 10s barrier, after the first ever (automatic-time) sub-10 of 9.91w (+5.3) recorded by BOB HAYES in 1964.

The first legal sub-10 however came later in 1968 when JIM HINES stopped the clock at 9.95 (+0.3) en route to win his Olympic gold at high altitude in Ciudad de Mexico.

The living legend CARL LEWIS made a history of becoming the first man to run an auto-time under 10s at low altitude with 9.97 at Modesto California in May 1983.

In a single month of May 2015, five FIRST legal sub-10 have been recorded (including Bingtian); Clayton Vaughn (May 10), Andre de Grasse (May 17), Bryce Robinson (May 17), Marvin Bracy (May 20) with 9.93, 9.97, 9.99, and 9.95, respectively.

Anyway, my story of sprint 100m will never finish!. But the following are the useful statistical facts and figures that have been updated as of 31 May 2015.

Results of men's 100m final (+1.5) (Prefontaine Classic 2015) 
1. Tyson Gay USA 9.88
2. Mike Rodgers USA 9.90
3. Su Bingtian CHN 9.99
4. Kim Collins SKN 9.99
5. Nesta Carter  JAM 10.02
6. James Dasaolu GBR 10.13
7. Richard Thompson TTO 10.27
8. Ryan Bailey USA 10.28

Su Bingtian's All-Time ten-fastest times (31 May 2015)

• 9.99 (+1.5) Eugene OR, Prefontaine Classic (DL) 2015
• 10.06 (+0.1), Beijing, IAAF World challenge 2013
• 10.06 (+0.2), Beijing, IAAF World challenge 2015
• 10.10 (+0.4), Incheon, Asian Games 2014
• 10.10 (-0.1), Kawasaki, Golden GP 2015
• 10.12 (+1.1), Shenyang, National Games 2013
• 10.14 (+0.5), Suzhou, National Championships 2013
• 10.15 (+1.4), Hengelo, Fenny Blankers Koen Meet 2014
• 10.15 (+1.3), Tomblaine, Nancy Stanislas Meet 2014
• 10.16 (+0.7), Hefei, National Games 2011

All-Time best performance for Non-black Sprinter (31 May 2015) 

• 9.92 Christophe Lemaitre FRA
• 9.99 SU BINGTIAN CHN
• 10.00 Marion Woronin POL
• 10.00 Koji Ito JPN
• 10.00 Zhang Peimeng CHN
• 10.01 Pietro Mennea ITA
• 10.01 Yoshihide Kiryu JPN
• 10.02 Nobuharu Asahara JPN
• 10.03 Matthew Shivington AUS
• 10.03 Nicholas Macrozonaris CAN
• 10.03 Shingo Suetsugu JPN

All-Time best (legal sub-10.20) for Asian Athletics (31 May 2015)

• 9.93 Femi Ogunode QAT (from Nigeria)
• 9.99 Samuel Francis QAT (from Nigeria)



Su Bingtian (Getty Image)





• 9.99 Su Bingtian CHN
• 10.00 Koji Ito JPN
• 10.00 Zhang Peimeng CHN
• 10.01 Yoshihide Kiryu JPN 
• 10.02 Nobuharu Asahara JPN
• 10.03 Shingo Suetsugo JPN
• 10.07 Masashi Erguchi JPN
• 10.07 Ryoto Yamagata JPN
• 10.08 Vitaliy Savin KAZ
• 10.09 Naoki Tsukahara JPN
• 10.09 Kei Takase JPN
• 10.11 Shingo Kawabata JPN
• 10.13 Vitaliy Medvedev KAZ
• 10.13 Salem Mubarak Al-Yami KSA
• 10.13 Nobuhiro Tajima JPN
• 10.14 Talal Mansour QAT
• 10.15 Hassan taftian IRI
• 10.16 Reza Ghasemi IRI
• 10.17 Zhou Wei CHN
• 10.17 Chen Haijian CHN
• 10.17 Suryo Agung Wibowo INA
• 10.17 Barakat Al-Harthi OMN
• 10.18 Gennadiy Chernovol KAZ 
• 10.19 Shin Kubota JPN
• 10.19 Jamal Al-Saffar KSA 10.19
• 10.19 Takumi Kuki JPN

Video of men's 100m at 2015 Prefontaine Classic, 30 May 2015



In this "sprinting" article, "whiteman" refers to (mainly) athletes from non-African descent and also any descent not associated with "blacks".

Image source: Kiyoshi Ota/Getty Images AsiaPac

*NOTE: This is purely an article about World sprinting and statistical figures, and no hatred and racism intended.