Japanese teenage sensation Sorato Shimizu has sent shockwaves through the sprinting world with a stunning 10.00-second 100m run at a local meet in Hiroshima.
The 16-year-old powered ahead of the competition in the final stretch, delivering a performance that not only shattered Gout Gout’s personal best of 10.17 but also outpaced any 100m time Usain Bolt ran before turning 21.
Shimizu’s time now stands as the fastest 100m ever recorded by an athlete under 18, breaking the previous U18 world record of 10.06 held jointly by American Christian Miller and Thailand’s Puripol Boonson.
After the race, Shimizu expressed his excitement: “I was determined to go sub-10 going into the final. I’m happy to set a high school record and hope to experience more at the top level.”
This breakthrough raises the questionhas Gout Gout found a new rival?
Gout, a rising force in global sprinting, now faces the reality that a younger athlete has legally run faster than he has. While Gout, like Bolt, favors the 200m due to his powerful acceleration after a slower start, he still actively competes in the 100m.
Although Gout has clocked sub-10-second times twice, both were wind-aided and don’t count as official records giving Shimizu the current edge.
With Gout continuing to impress on the Diamond League circuit and Shimizu setting new benchmarks, it seems inevitable that the two young stars will face off. Gout’s next opportunity to respond will come at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo this September.
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