China's top sprinter Su withdraws from 2023 season

BEIJING - China' top sprinter Su Bingtian on Monday announced his withdrawal from the 2023 season on his social media account.

In a statement, the current Asian men's 100m record holder disclosed that he decided to drop out of this year's World Athletics Championships and Hangzhou Asian Games and put an end to the 2023 season due to "physical reasons".

"As a 34-year-old sprinter, the accumulated injuries over the years and the decline of physical conditions after the pandemic have brought difficulties to my preparations this year," he said in the post. "My team has conducted a series of examinations and tests for me and actively sought advice from various sources."

"To prolong my career, I have to give up this year's competitions to take a rest and make adjustments."

"But I will not stop pursuing my dreams. Next, I will continue to actively recover and fully prepare for the 2024 Paris Olympics," Su added.

Su, with a personal best of 9.83 seconds in the 100m event, is the fifth fastest man all-time in the category at the Olympics.