'Golden Bolt' oldest competitive sprinter

Japanese centenarian Hidekichi Miyazaki set a record as the world's oldest competitive sprinter this week, one day after turning 105, but said he was disappointed at falling short of his own personal best.

"I wanted to shave off a few more seconds, as I got 36 seconds while training," Miyazaki, wearing a bright red T-shirt and running shorts, said after completing his heat with a time of 42.22 on Wednesday. His personal record of 34.10, chalked up when he was 103, remains unbeaten for a centenarian.

Born on Sept 22, 1910, Miyazaki was already 8 when World War I ended and 34 when Japan was defeated in World War II. He did not start running until he was in his 90s, since many of the friends with whom he had played the Japanese board game Go had passed away, according to Guinness World Records.