Japanese Runner Acknowledges Gap to World Class After Thai Sprint Star's Record
Japanese sprinter Shoji Mizukubo finished bronze at the Asian Games 200m, acknowledging Thailand's Biu Phuripal Bunsaun's dominant gold-medal performance exposed the gap between him and world-class athletes.
Shoji Mizukubo, a Japanese sprinter who won bronze in the men's 200 metres at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, has acknowledged that Biu Phuripal Bunsaun, Thailand's sprinter, revealed the true gap between himself and world-class athletes.
Phuripal Bunsaun put on a dominant display to set a new Asian Games record of 19.88 seconds and claim gold, matching Asia's record previously held by Xia Xuxin Ye of China. Yo Hweyn Hwang of China took silver in 20.45 seconds, 0.57 seconds behind Phuripal, while Mizukubo secured bronze in 20.56 seconds, 0.68 seconds off the pace.
According to Japanese media outlet Spohozy, Mizukubo, visibly disappointed after the race, reflected on his performance: "Incomplete training resulted in disappointing results, which became clear in this competition. It was a race that made me truly feel the gap between myself and world-class level."
The 27-year-old Mizukubo is Japan's 200 metres champion with a personal best of 20.07 seconds, the second-fastest time in Japanese history behind Shinko Suezusunga's 20.04 seconds. He competed at the Asian Games while nursing a pre-competition injury.
Mizukubo has vowed to bounce back, stating: "Next year there is a world athletics championship in Beijing. I will do my absolute best with the goal of reaching the final."
