China’s fastest sprinter Su Bingtian forced to pull out of Hong Kong Athletics Championships because of injury

Hong Kong sprinters will miss out on the opportunity to test themselves against one of the fastest in the world after China national record holder Su Bingtian pulled out of this weekend’s Hong Kong Athletics Championships at Wan Chai Sports Ground.

Su, the only Chinese to run under 10 seconds in the 100 metres, was supposed to compete at the two-day competition along with other mainland competitors.

But Su, who was training in Shenzhen ahead of the weekend, suffered a minor foot injury and is unlikely to make the Hong Kong trip, according to coach Randy Huntington.

“We just returned from hospital and Su will have to stay out of the spikes for the next four to five days,” said American Huntington on Tuesday. “He needs a rest before Shanghai (where Su will have his next event). This happens at times.” 

It was to be the first time the 28-year-old Su competed in Hong Kong after twice recording 9.99 seconds in 2015, the first Asia-born athlete to have gone under 10 seconds. 

Huntington said earlier he wanted his charge to compete at a minor competition to increase the intensity of Su’s training without heavy stress, and the Hong Kong race would also help them to assess some technical issues ahead of next week’s lucrative Diamond League event in Shanghai.