22 seconds for 100 meters — at age 95 TOKYO (AP) — A 95-year-old Japanese man who took up track “only” three decades ago has run the 100 meters in 22.04 seconds, a record for his age bracket, according to media reports. Kozo Haraguchi, 95, sets a world record in the 100 meters for men aged 95-99 in Miyazaki, Japan. By AP Photo/Kyodo News
Kozo Haraguchi looked sturdy and fit as he dashed Sunday at an outdoor track slick with rain in the southern Japanese city of Miyazaki.
“It was the first time for me to run in the rain and as I was thinking to myself, ‘I mustn’t fall, I mustn’t fall,’ I made it across the goal,” Haraguchi told reporters.
Japanese media reports Monday said that Haraguchi had beaten the world record of 24.01 seconds for the 95 to 99 age group set by Hawaii-resident Erwin Jaskulski in May 1999.
His time will be submitted to the World Masters Athletics organization for verification, they said.
Haraguchi also holds the World Masters Athletics’ world record for the fastest man aged 90 to 95 — a time of 18.08 seconds he set in September 2000. He started track events at age 65 and stays healthy by taking hourlong walks daily.
Jamaica’s Asafa Powell broke the world record for the 100 meters just last week with a time of 9.77 seconds, breaking the record previously held by American Tim Montgomery of 9.78.
Most American can get off the couch … they simply WON’T. Too many people use “can’t” instead of “won’t”.
Sorry, other than I’m not real interested in a 95-yp guy running a 22-second 100m … outside of “good for him”. That is a tidbit of information worth hearing.
I work with plenty…and know plenty that use to be athletes too. Lots of old college friends from the swim team that you would never guess use to be blazing fast in the pool. Hard to imagine being active for so many years and then people just let themselves go!
Like Merkx and Lemond. Eventhough Merkx is looking lean and mean again these days, Lemond sure isn’t. I always wonder if they jus stop working out, and keep eating the same mass of food.
I took a break for about 2 years from just about anything active after college. Sure I gained some weight (about 20lbs), but I also ate alot less. Appetite just wasn’t there anymore.
I know a lot of people that are not in too good of shape, and yes, they think I’m crazy, but is this just a stereotype cuz of the obesity problem, or a fact that can be backed up?
Honestly, I’m just getting tired of the blanket statement. Time to move on to another dumb joke.
We may be lazy and fat but this guy’s run does not prove anything other than that he can cover 100m in 22 seconds.trtrr
I am sorry but to do that at 95 IS quite something. But that has nothing to do with SOME lazy fat people all over the world.
Kudos to him, I hope my body can do that when I am that age.
He is blessed to be like that, both mentally and physically. I know many elderly who can’t do anything, (some because they won’t) but many because they just cannot. He is a rarity in life.
It is an impressive feat, it just has nothing to do with the general contitioning of Americans anymore than Lance Armstrong’s performance means we are all great endurance athletes.
So give the guy his due but don’t use it to bash Americans.
Very good point. Besides people who live in a rural type of area who have to work hard to live, many people of the industrialized nations are just too busy with work and family to even think about exercising. I think it’s money that keeps people on their asses. It’s money that bought them their couch. It pays for their beer and TV. It is money that people work so hard for so they can get the things that they want. Then after work they claim they are too tired to go exercise. Or they say they don’t have the time.
“I think it’s money that keeps people on their asses. It’s money that bought them their couch. It pays for their beer and TV. It is money that people work so hard for so they can get the things that they want. Then after work they claim they are too tired to go exercise. Or they say they don’t have the time.”
I see dirt ass poor people taking a CTA bus for one stop because they’re too lazy to walk two blocks from the bus stop to the train stop. Plus it costs them more money to do it. I don’t see the correlation between wealth and laziness.
I think it’s money that keeps people on their asses. It’s money that bought them their couch. It pays for their beer and TV. It is money that people work so hard for so they can get the things that they want.
Ever heard “you can never be too thin or too rich?” You can blame obesity on a lot of factors, but too much money is a stretch.
