Asia’s fastest sprinter Su Bingtian reveals how Hong Kong Paralympian William So and writer Louis Cha ‘Jin Yong’ inspired him to success
- ‘God Su’, the first Asian-born athlete to run the 100 metres in under 10 seconds, says William So is the ‘true god’ of the track
- Sprinter says he ‘deeply believes in the phrase, ‘In the world of kung fu, speed defines the winner’ after reading the works of Louis Cha ‘Jin Yong’
Asia’s fastest-ever sprinter Su Bingtian has revealed he was inspired to chase his dreams by two legendary Hongkongers, Paralympian William So Wa-wai and novelist Louis Cha “Jin Yong”.
Hailed as “God Su” by fans, the first Asian-born athlete to break the 10-second barrier in the 100m told a Polytechnic University audience on Sunday that he considered Hong Kong sprinter So to be the “true god” of the track.
“I read The Smiling, Proud Wanderer and Demigods and Semi-Devils, so I deeply believe in the phrase, ‘In the world of kung fu, speed defines the winner’,” he said.
Su this year became the first Chinese runner to reach an Olympics 100m final, setting an Asian record of 9.83 seconds in the semi-finals of the Tokyo Games.
“After the competition, Chinese netizens wanted to express their support and love and gave me the name ‘God Su’, but in my heart the true ‘god’ is Hongkonger [William] So Wa-wai,” he told a meet-and-greet session at PolyU.
“So showed me the hardworking and persistent spirit of young people in mainland China and in Hong Kong, who never give up on their dreams.”
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Known as Hong Kong’s “wonder boy”, So competed in five Paralympics, winning a total of 12 medals at Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000, Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008.
His story was told in this year’s film Zero to Hero, which was also screened on the mainland.
Su’s remarks were made on the final day of a goodwill tour of Hong Kong by mainland Olympians.
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On Saturday, the delegation wowed crowds with sporting demonstrations across multiple disciplines. The group, which included diving champion Wang Zongyuan, fencer Sun Yiwen and table tennis players Ma Long and Xu Xin, showcased their skills along with local professional and aspiring athletes.
About 3,400 residents attended events on Saturday morning, with Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor also watching.
The life and legacy of Louis Cha ‘Jin Yong’
Secretary for Home Affairs Caspar Tsui Ying-wai kicked off Sunday’s proceedings at PolyU, where elite athletes shared their experiences with 800 residents and students and took questions.
Alongside Su were Ma, Sun, weightlifter Lyu Xiaojun, rower Cui Xiaotong and swimming team coach Wang Aimin.
“The government has always supported the development of sport in the city to ensure elite athletes can keep passing the baton,” Tsui said.
PolyU council chairman Lam Tai-fai invited the athletes to study at the university when they retired.
“I and university president Teng Jin-guang will cover all expenses if needed,” he said.
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PolyU’s Lam asked five-time Olympic gold medalist Ma – widely seen as the greatest player in table tennis history – who he thought would pose the greatest threat to his crown at the next Olympics in Paris.
“My biggest competition will be whoever is standing across the table,” Ma quipped.
Ma, who suffered from injuries after the 2016 Rio Olympics, also explained why he had formed a heart with his arms after winning at the 2020 Games.
“Surgery was the only option for me … after that I could only walk with a crutch and do simple workouts,” he said. “I was asked whether I was scared of failing, and I was terrified, but I wanted to win even more.”
He added: “At 32, I was standing at the Olympics again, and managed to win two gold medals. I had made a heart sign for the audience that day, but it was also for myself, because I had not given up even in the hardest time.”
The sports stars received repeated rounds of applause from the audience during the event.
Kayson Lu, 12, who asked Su a question on stress management, said he was inspired by the sportsmanship and tenacity of the athletes.
“I sometimes exercise too, but today has taught me I should not give up no matter what I do,” Lu said.
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The young fan had also asked Su about his favourite food, which the sprinter said was roast goose. Su also said stress was something faced by all Olympians, but added that it decreased with age and experience.
“I used to think about competitions the night before,” he said. “But the more important thing is to find yourself on the field, and eventually you will be able to dominate.”
Priscilla Chen, a 25-year-old student and alumna of PolyU, said she was excited to see Ma. “He’s a bit older, and he previously had to start over from an injury, and I think this spirit was inspiring.”
At the Yuen Long District Sports Association Jockey Club complex, meanwhile, four Olympic champions – rings specialist Liu Yang, Zou Jingyuan, who competed in the parallel bars, and weightlifting’s Wang Zhouyu and Chen Lijun – demonstrated their sporting skills to hundreds of primary school students on Sunday morning.
Wrapping up the three-day visit, Yang Ning, deputy director of the General Administration of Sport and head of the mainland delegation, said the group looked forward to more sporting exchanges between the mainland and city in the future.
“I believe the next National Games will be a new starting point and an opportunity. Co-hosting the Games can make more sports popular among the public,” she said, referring to the 15th National Games which will be jointly hosted by Guangdong province, Hong Kong and Macau in 2025.
The delegation will also conduct a similar meet-and-greet in Macau from December 19 to 21, after undergoing a 14-day quarantine back on the mainland.
In all, China won 88 medals at the Tokyo Olympics – 38 gold, 32 silver and 18 bronze. That included seven gold and five silver medals in diving, as well as three gold, two silver and one bronze in swimming.
The Games also featured the best-ever performance by Hong Kong athletes, who brought home a record six medals.
