Have you ever seen anyone truly shock Usain Bolt in his own era? It happened at the 2015 IAAF World Championships in Beijing. While Bolt still won the 100m semis in the final meters, he looked genuinely surprised as one man led nearly 60% of that 100m race ahead of him. That man was Su Bingtian, the fastest Asian sprinter of all time! But alas, the days of watching the Chinese sprinter in that red iconic tracksuit are now over…

After a 21-year-long run, the legendary sprinter, Su Bingtian, has finally decided to hang up his spikes at 36. Not that this is really a shocker, because in April 2025, Bingtian had hinted at his retirement at the Grand Prix in Guangdong. And this Thursday, that time finally arrived when he competed before 43,924 spectators at the 15th National Games, running his final 4x100m relay race. After which, Bingtian stood barefoot on the track, bowing thrice to express his gratitude toward the audience, as he gracefully bid farewell to the sport. But his words that came later carried the weight of his two-decade-long career.

“I didn’t want to leave quietly without a proper goodbye,” Su announced to the crowd. “Here in my hometown, with a full stadium, I’m honored to say farewell,” he continued. In memory of his early track days, Su, who eventually ended up running against Usain Bolt 5 times in his career, mentioned, “From a clueless kid to racing on the world stage, step by step, I broke the 10-second barrier and reached the Olympic 100-meter final. Only persistence makes dreams come true.” He’s clearly retiring with a full heart, but his ambition doesn’t stop here. As the athlete promised, “I want to help the next generation chase their dreams.” 

Let’s not forget, Su Bingtian retires with countless feathers on his cap. The first Chinese sprinter to reach the 100m Olympic semi-final at the 2012 London Olympics? Check. First Asian to go sub-10s thanks to his 9.99s time at the 2015 Diamond League? Check. He also finished sixth in the Tokyo Olympics 100m final after clocking an Asian record of 9.83 seconds in the semis. Notably, in the semis, he recorded a 60m split of 6.29s and a 30m split of 3.73s, which was faster than the 6.31-second split and a 3.78s split registered by Usain Bolt during his 100m world record.

Although these splits came during a 100m race and does not threaten Christian Coleman’s official 60m world record, it remains a remarkable feat that places him eye-to-eye with Usain Bolt in terms of raw speed. Also, Su Bingtian played a key role in redefining China’s sprinting history. While China has traditionally excelled at the Olympics, its presence in elite athletics has often been limited. However, under the brilliance of Su Bingtian, China clinched bronze in the 4x100m relay at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. Also a relay silver at the 2015 Worlds too.

Now, as the two-time Asian 100m champion steps away from the track, he currently serves as dean of the School of Physical Education at Jinan University. But, he is not the only one who took retirement at the Chinese National Games.

Not just the man who nearly shocked Usain Bolt, another legend retired at the National Games

2025 can easily be called the year when multiple legends stepped away from the sport. A few days back, at the 15th National Games, shot put legend Gong Lijiao closed the chapter on her storied career. Moments after she threw a massive 19.68m and lifted her fifth consecutive national title, she bowed deeply before the crowd and exited with tears in her eyes. Well, she isn’t the only one who bid farewell this year, as track and field insider Owens drew comparisons on X between the curtain call of Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who recently retired after the World Athletics Championships.

Since Lijiao’s farewell came with a gold, the Chinese standout expressed, “This is my fifth National Games, and I’ve won all the previous four. Now I have a perfect conclusion here.” She went on to thank her competitors, rivals, and everyone who had been part of her journey, expressing her desire to leave everything behind and move forward with only the fond memories. Lastly, the athlete sent out a message for the younger generation, “I want to use my own passion to ensure that Chinese women’s shot put remains a force on the world stage. After I retire, I hope the next generation can carry the torch forward.”

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Ending all their chapters with phenomenal career records, Clayton Murphy, Thomas Barr, Reece Prescod, and now Su Bingtian have concluded their careers, making 2025 the year of retirements. Given that, whose retirement has hit you the hardest so far?