Qatar’s Femi Ogunode won the Asian Games 100 metres gold in a new continental record time of 9.93 seconds despite wet conditions in Incheon on Sunday, AFP reports.
Nigerian-born Ogunode, who won the 200-400m double at the 2010 Asiad, beat China’s Su Bingtan, with Japan’s Kei Takase third.
Hopes for an Asia-born athlete finally breaking the 10-second barrier sank with Su crossing in 10.10 and his Chinese teammate Zhang Peimeng timing 10.18 in fourth.
Ogunode’s win is Qatar’s second athletics gold of the tournament, pulling them level in their shootout with fellow wealthy Gulf state Bahrain.
His time bettered the 9.99 that teammate Samuel Francis ran at the Asian Championships in 2007. Francis, visibly struggling with a leg injury, finished last.
Meanwhile, Ogunode says he can outsprint Usain Bolt to gold at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro – even without the help of a coach.
Ogunode told reporters he would now turn his attention to next year’s world championships and then to the Olympics in Brazil the following summer.
Asked if he could beat Jamaica’s Bolt – the world’s fastest man at 9.58sec –Ogunode , according to The Malaysian Insider, said, “I have confidence in myself that I can challenge anybody.”
“I see myself winning the gold medal in Rio.”
He added, “I am fine without a coach, I know what to do,” said the confident sprinter, who returned from a lengthy doping ban at the start of this year.
“Without a coach I can discipline myself and train myself. I’ve been training alone. When I’m training myself I believe in myself so strongly and I improve so much.”
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