If we make it to the ripe old age of 105 there’s a strong chance that most of the activities we’ll be doing will be armchair-based, involve us wearing excessive levels of corduroy, and structured around the phrase “…pardon, dear, could you speak up a bit?”

If we live to see 100, let alone 105, there’s a strong chance that none of the activities we’ll be involved in will involve sprinting at track and field competitions. But, then again, none of us go by the name Hidekichi Miyazaki (aka “The Golden Bolt”).

Hidekichi, you see, has just broken the record for being the world’s oldest competitive sprinter after completing the 100 metres at the Kyoto Masters. Incredibly, and against everything you thought you knew about science, Hidekichi’s finishing time was a floor-melting 9:89 seconds (not really, it was actually 42.22 seconds).

After the race, a smiling Hidekichi appeared to lay down a gauntlet to the modern-day sprinting legend Usain Bolt by mimicking the now iconic lightning pose (that thing Bolt does with his arms before and after races). Will Usain accept the challenge? Has he got what it takes to handle the explosive acceleration of a 105-year-old man from Japan? Time will tell.

One thing that’s beyond doubt is that Hidekichi Miyazaki is now one of our sporting heroes. You could be born, grow to the age of 18, and order your first legal pint in the time it takes Hidekichi to finish the 100 metres. But, just for running in the race, this man stands as a true inspiration to the rest of us to get off our bums and do something. What an absolute legend!

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