102-year-old Thai athlete breaks 100-meter record

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2021
Sawang Janpram, the oldest sprinter in Thailand, has set a new record for his age group by finishing a 100-meter dash in 27.08 seconds.

102-Year-Old Sawang Janpram, the oldest sprinter in Thailand, has set a new record for his age group by finishing a 100-meter dash in 27.08 seconds.

Sawang has participated four times in the annual Thailand Master Athletes Championships, particularly in the 100-meter dash, javelin and discus events.

Last weekend at the championship’s 26th iteration held in the southwestern SamutSongkhram province, he won all of the gold medals in the 100-105 years category, as he has outlived all rivals in that age range.

Sawang’s everyday routine includes daily walks with his 70-year-old daughter, Siripan, and simple house chores like sweeping up fallen leaves in their garden.



However, the centenarian ramped this up ahead of the games, training twice a day for a week at a local stadium with his daughter.
Usain Bolt, who holds the only current world record, ran it in 9.58 seconds in 2009.

Viwat Vigrantanoros, president of Asia Masters Athletics said that as Thailand’s society ages, the number of participants in the seniors category has grown.

When the Thailand Master Athletes Championships started in 1996, there were only about 300 participants. Today, there are over 2,000 – their ages ranging from 35 to 102 years.(NNT)