No Bolt, no cry after Su takes Asia sprint

SU BINGTIAN’S Asian Games gold in the 100m came as little surprise to many, including athletics boss Sebastian Coe, long an admirer of the pintsized Chinese sprinter.

The 28-year-old streaked to victory in a competition record of 9.92 seconds in Jakarta at the weekend, missing the continental record by the tiniest of fractions.

Su (pictured, AFP) edged out Nigeria-born Qatari Tosin Ogunode – younger brother of Femi Ogunode, with whom the Chinese star shares the continental best of 9.91 – on a night when six Africa-born athletes bagged six track and field golds at Asia’s showcase sports event.

Ryota Yamagata – part of the 4x100m Japan team that took silver behind Usain Bolt’s Jamaica at the 2016 Rio Olympics, took bronze, underlining Coe’s confidence in the future of Asian sprinting.

“You could argue Japan and China are two of the most improved athletics nations over the last six or seven years,” the Briton said in an interview with news agencies.

“For me it’s very clear – they’re making very good progress. If we’d been sitting here a decade ago, talking about potential here for a China athlete to run 9.8, you’d have probably taken quite long odds on that.”

Coe, president of track and field’s governing IAAF, pointed to China’s willingness to embrace overseas coaches after years of fostering suspicion of state-sponsored doping.

Su is coached by American coach Randy Huntington, while swim star Sun Yang’s partnership with Australian Denis Cotterell has helped turn him into a world beater. ater.

“If you look at the Chinese nese federation, they’ve been quite global,” said Coe. “They’ve e recognised there are gaps in their own coaching structures and said: ‘Hey, let’s bring that talalent to the table.’

“I t ’s a p r a g ma t i c approach. There’s been a greater clarity around the e importance of coaching.”

Life after Bolt

Coe is aware of the massive sive void left by athletics megaastar Bolt after the Jamaican n legend’s retirement last year. But he also wants athletes to be personalities who can connect with h fans.

“I’m a boxing fan,” said Coe, twice an Olympic 1500m chamhampion. “If we’d been sitting in n the 70s, you’d probably be saying aying to me what on earth are we going to be doing after Muhammad Ali?

“B u t a c t u a l l y , Floyd Mayw e a t h e r , H a g l e r , Hearns come along.

“Do t hey s u d d e n l y r e p l a c e Muhammad Ali? No. Should we suddenly e x p e c t t h e s e a t h l e t e s t o re p l a c e h i m? No,” he added. “Because Usain i s not s i mply thought about at the th status that he’s thought about ab because he’s got a sack full fu of world records and he’s got a clutch of Olympic titles.

“It’s actually because he’s a pe personality. It’s performance plu plus personality.

““We’ve got to help the athlet letes tell their stories.”

S Su himself is a superstar in China, Ch although he has some way wa to achieve the celebrity that th pin-up Liu Xiang achieved after aft winning the 110m hurdles dl gold at the 2004 Athens Ol Olympics.

““There was more pressure he here than at a world championsh ships,” said Su, swallowed by a sc scrum of state media after his wi win.

““Everybody expected me to wi win so I kept telling myself to sta stay calm. I just found a way. It’s a massive m win for me.”