Japan’s Shocking Track Surge Revealed

^{July 28, 2025 | Edition #161}

👋 Hey, Speedsters!

Is a single race enough to put a sprinter on the map? Well, we saw that happen with two Japanese athletes this weekend. One shattered an age world record, the other outpaced a pro! Both are now gutsy new entries in the global watchlist. In addition to this, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce also made some big revelations. Her race schedule for her last season is out! So, hop in, we have big updates…

🌟 Track Stories

This Schoolboy Deserves Applause!

Unbelievable! There's no other way to describe what 16-year-old Sorato Shimizu did at Japan's Inter High School Athletics Meeting. Not just Hiroshima, but the entire track world was left in shock!

On Saturday, July 26, Sorato blazed across the 100m finish line in only 10.00 seconds (+1.7m/s), becoming the new U18 100m World Record Holder. Watch the Japanese teen smashing the age group world record by 0.06 seconds, here! Also, he has broken the previous joint record held by American Christian Miller and Thailand’s Puripol Boonson. Moreover, Sorato shattered a 12-year-old Japanese high school record (10.01s), set by Yoshihide Kiryu in 2013. But, this isn’t it!

The Seiryo High School teen has now matched the reigning Olympic Champion, Noah Lyles’ season best! Interestingly, even the legendary Usain Bolt came close to this mark at 20. Sorato has now entered history as Japan’s fifth-fastest 100m sprinter ever, tied with Koji Ito, who ran the same time back in 1998. But this did not come out of the blue, as Sorato was dropping hints since the start of July…

After all, he opened his season with a 10.19 at the Japanese Championships. And now, with this record-breaking run, he has also met the qualification standard for the World Championships. With this, he has become the 2nd Japanese man to hit the 100m qualification standard for the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo after Hakim Sani Brown. So yeah, keep an eye out for this boy!

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📈 Trending News

The Athlete Who Defeated Holloway Has Now Lost!

Dynamics are changing fast in the men's 110m hurdles... First up, we saw Grant Holloway, the reigning Olympic champion, take a backseat while youngsters like Dylan Beard, Trey Cunningham, and Cordell Tinch climbed to the top. Now, another established star, Jamaica's Hansle Parchment, received a surprising blow from a new challenger....

Yep, at the ISTAF Berlin meet on Sunday, Hansle Parchment suffered an upset loss to 21-year-old Japanese hurdler Tatsuki Abe. Interestingly, Abe was actually 0.003 seconds slower off the blocks, but he turned on the jets and won, clocking a personal best of 13.23 seconds. Whereas, Parchment had to settle for second with 13.26 seconds. Watch below how the former Olympic Champion lost by 0.03 seconds!

Also, this is the same Hansle Parchment who defeated Holloway in the Tokyo Olympic final by 0.05s. It was a massive win, since it ended Holloway’s winning streak of 2021. Moreover, again, in 2023, Parchment left Holloway chasing not once but twice, at the Xiamen Diamond League and the Prefontaine Classic. But now, Parchment himself has been beaten by a rising star, and it was not a fluke...

After all, Tatsuki Abe has podiumed in every 110m hurdles final he has raced this year. A whopping 15 first-place finishes in 18 races! Also, not long ago, on July 24, he struck gold at the World University Games with a 13.47s run, giving Japan its first athletics gold medal in the meet’s history. Currently ranked 27th on the world list this year, Abe is definitely climbing, and he is climbing fast!

Watch: Tatsuki Smashing State Record 4 Months Ago!

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🎖️ Beyond The Medals

One Last Time…

As soon as Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce announced 2025 as her final season, a lot of questions popped up! After all, she was returning at the age of 38 with 25 Olympic and World medals. Already a legend, what more was she looking for? Well, turns out, it was for “unfinished business!” And now we have the schedule for her final few races before she hangs up her spikes…

In an interview on July 24th, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce shared details of her next steps. Seven races down, a few more to go! Shelly-Ann revealed that she will soon be heading to Europe for a series of races. She has confirmed her presence in Budapest, Belgium and Zurich for August. After that, Shelly-Ann will be heading to Tokyo for her ninth and final World Championships in search of yet another World medal and her Paris 2024 redemption. Let’s decode it for you!

What’s in Budapest? Well, Shelly-Ann will probably appear for the 15th edition of the Gyulai István Memorial – Hungarian Athletics Grand Prix on August 12. As previously in 2022 and 2021, Shelly-Ann has ran 100m in the event, finishing first and second, respectively. Watch Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce shattering meet record in 2022! Also, Zurich, the Diamond League Final, would be the perfect stage for her last DL race. Well, the Jamaican can throw a few surprises in between, but one thing is for sure…Shelly-Ann has also taken up a new role!

Yes, Shelly-Ann is transitioning from track icon to businesswomen. She has already launched her own haircare brand, AFIMI, taking inspiration from her roots in February 2025. “I’m from an inner city…they’re known for styles, like big earrings, gold teeth, different wigs and colors,” she explained. At first, Shelly-Ann was doubtful, but now she is proudly embracing it all. “Being able to honor that heritage in our culture is truly wonderful.” Clearly, she holds Waterhouse, her hometown, close to her heart, a place that even named a road after her this year.

So yes, big transitions are underway for Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, and we are rooting for her!

Watch: Shelly-Ann’s Emotional Brand Reveal!

📊 POLL OF THE DAY

Last Poll Result: We asked you, “What Can MJ Do to Save GST for the Upcoming Seasons?” The question is still up for discussion as we had no clear winner! But nearly 42% of you said that Johnson should “Get new investors.” Yes, that could be a solution! Also as one of you commented, “Failure is just a setback. The concept is good just need to go about it differently to get solid funding.” We hope it was just a setback and GST will return with a better plan in 2026.

That’s it for today, folks! We’ll look to knock on your inbox soon with more interesting stories!

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