A 105-year-old Japanese man has entered the Guinness Book of World Records for setting the 100 metres record of 42.22 seconds in the over-105 age category.
Hidekichi Miyazaki, dubbed “Golden Bolt” after the fastest man on the planet, Usain Bolt, set the record in Kyoto, Japan on Tuesday, a day after his birthday.
“I’m not happy with the time. I started shedding tears during the race because I was going so slowly. Perhaps I’m getting old!” he told news agency, AFP.
When Miyazaki who declared himself a “medical marvel” was told his time was way below Bolt’s, he grinned and said “I’m still a beginner, you know. I’ll have to train harder. Training was going splendidly, so I had set myself a target of 35 seconds. I can still go faster.”
Miyazaki also holds the world 100 metres record for over-100 age category, a feat he achieved in 29.83 seconds.
He admitted his love and admiration for Usain Bolt whom he said he regrets not meeting when he was in Japan.
“Two or three years ago Bolt came to Japan and said he wanted to meet me. There was a call about it but I was out and he left without meeting me. I felt deeply sorry.”
When asked about his health, the centenarian told his interviewer he could not feel better.
“The doctors gave me a medical examination a couple of days ago and I’m fit as a fiddle.
“My brain might not be the sharpest but physically I’m tip-top. I’ve never had any health problems. The doctors are amazed by me. I can definitely keep on running for another two or three years,” he said.
Japan has one of the highest life expectancies in the world.