He Ran 9.90. He Is 20. The Asian Games Record Fell Twice.

Nagoya, September 25. Men’s 100 meters, semifinal one. Thailand’s Bunsong crosses the line. The clock stops at 9.91. Hours later, the final gun fires. He runs 9.90. Prelims: 9.95. Semifinal: 9.91. Final: 9.90. Three races under 10 seconds. Each one faster than the last.

Su Bingtian’s Asian Games record was 9.92. He set it in Jakarta in 2018. Bunsong took it to 9.91 in the semifinal. Then to 9.90 in the final. Two record runs in one day. On the Asian all-time list, 9.90 puts him second. Su’s 9.83 is first. Ogunode’s 9.91 is third.

The splits tell the story. Final reaction time: 0.177 seconds. Semifinal first 60 meters: 6.49. Semifinal last 40 meters: 3.42. Final first 60 meters: 6.52. Final last 40 meters: 3.38. That last 40-meter split is the number to keep. According to Total Running Production, only about 20 athletes in history have run the last 40 meters of a 100-meter race under 3.40 seconds. At the 2025 World Championships final, Bunsong’s last 40-meter split was the fastest in the field. His 60-meter personal best is 6.59. The start is not his strength. His strength is the last 40 meters.

Su Bingtian was a different athlete. His first 60 meters was historic. His start and acceleration were world-class. His 9.83 in the Tokyo Olympic semifinal is the Asian record. It remains the brightest single race in Asian sprinting. Bunsong is 20. He also runs the 200 meters. His 200-meter personal best is 20.03. He ran 9.90 off his back half. His start still has room.

His growth curve has not broken. Born June 13, 2006. In 2021, at 15, he ran 10.24. In 2022, at 16, he ran 10.09. At the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, at 17, he ran 10.02 in the final with a +2.4 wind. He took silver behind Xie Zhenye’s 9.97. In 2024 he made the Olympic semifinal. In 2025 he made the World Championships semifinal. At the end of 2025, at the Southeast Asian Games, he ran 9.94 in the prelims and 10.00 in the final into a 0.5 m/s headwind. On June 7, 2026, he opened his season with a 200-meter personal best of 20.03. Then came Nagoya: 9.95 in the prelims, 9.91 in the semifinal, 9.90 in the final.

This did not happen suddenly. From 15 to 20, five years, every step came early.

The shape of Asian sprinting is also changing. In the Nagoya final, Bunsong won gold. Two Omani athletes took silver and bronze. Xie Zhenye ran 10.18 in the semifinal. Zeng Keli ran 10.24. The men’s 100 meters in Asia was once a China-Japan story. Now Thailand and Oman are in the final. More countries at the top means more pressure. More pressure can push the overall level up.

How far is 9.83? 0.07 seconds. At top speed, that is about 0.7 meters. A body length. A reaction time of 0.177 can become 0.145. A first 60 of 6.52 can become 6.45. A +0.1 wind can become +1.5. A healthy season can replace a season with hamstring trouble.

Bunsong has had injuries. He missed time after 2023. He still improved. He ran 9.94 at the end of 2025. He opened 2026 with a 200-meter personal best. The last 40 meters is already there. The start is the project. If the start improves, the record becomes a target. If the start stays the same, 9.90 may be the ceiling for now.

Su’s 9.83 came in a Tokyo Olympic semifinal. Pressure, form, wind, lane, and execution all aligned. Bunsong needs that kind of race. Health first. Peak at the right meet. Wind that helps. A first 60 better than any he has run. The last 40 held. The clock reading 9.82 or lower.

He is 20. Time is on his side. The back half is already there. The 200-meter strength supports it. The record is his. The next step is the start. The next step is 9.83.

The Nagoya track. The clock stops at 9.90. Bunsong bends, hands on his knees, breathing. 9.83 is still ahead. 0.07 seconds is what he chases next.