16-year-old sprint sensation Shimizu breaks 100m world record

16-year-old Sorato crossed the line in a time of 10.00 seconds

A 16-year-old Japanese sprinter has SMASHED an under-18 world record after running a lightning-fast 100m in exactly 10 seconds.

Teenager Sorato Shimizu completed the run at the Inter High School Championships in Japan over the weekend.

The runner blazed past his opponents, with second place finishing in 10.27 seconds, almost three-tenths of a second slower.

The previous world record for under-18s was 10.06 seconds, jointly set by American teen Christian Miller and Puripol Boonson from Thailand in 2023.

So, who is Shimizu, and could he be a future Olympic champion?

Who is Sorato Shimizu?

Sorato Shimizu is a 16-year-old teenager from Ishikawa Prefecture in Japan, where he goes to school.

The school he goes to has a history of producing top-level athletes.

He clocked a rapid 10.37s in the 100m run at last year's high-school championships, and an even faster 10.19s run earlier this July, before smashing the world record this weekend.

While he's not as well known as Australia's teen super-sprinter Gout Gout, who some have tipped to be the next Usain Bolt, Soratos' win has nonetheless turned heads.

At just 16, he is now the joint-fifth fastest Japanese athlete in history.

What next?

Gout Gout of Australia could be a rival to Shimizu

The future looks bright for the rising star.

By achieving a time of 10 seconds, he can qualify for the World Athletics World Championships in September, which are taking place in Tokyo.

Even if he doesn't compete there, Sorato has proved he could be a challenger to rival Gout Gout, and a future Olympian.