Photo: VCG

An 82-year-old man can fly? Chinese runner Ding Ming has found himself at the center of admiration after sprinting to a world title and setting a new Asian record at an international tournament recently.

During the 2026 World Masters Athletics Championships (WMAC) held in Daegu, South Korea, Ding won the M80 (men's 80-84 age group) 80-meter hurdles on August 25, clocking 15.99 seconds to claim the gold and rewrite the Asian record for his age group.

Ding told the Global Times in an exclusive interview that he felt calm, with mixed emotions, after winning the title. "It wasn't easy," he said. 

"There is still a long way to go for us to improve and catch up" in the sport for senior citizens, Ding said, noting that developing athletics for senior citizens in China remains a challenging and long-term task.

WMAC is a biennial international track and field tournament for athletes aged 35 and above. While the championships feature high-level competition, they also emphasize participation, enjoyment and a lifelong passion for athletics, allowing people to continue competing and staying active well beyond their traditional sporting years.

Over 11,000 people from 90 countries and regions across the world are competing in 34 events at the ongoing championships, which are scheduled to end on Thursday. China sent a 105-member delegation to the tournament, marking a record-high number of participants.

Many of the Chinese athletes are competing at an international tournament for the first time. Although there were gaps in competitiveness in some events, they showed strong determination and gave their best, achieving better-than-expected performances and rankings, Ding's teammate Ma Weizhong told the Global Times.

The victory was made more remarkable by the fact that he competed in three events that day, even leaving the high jump midway through to take part in the 80-meter hurdles final, according to Ma. 

Ding did not have a clear advantage in outright running speed over his rivals. Instead, his edge came from his hurdling technique, which proved decisive in securing the victory, Ma noted.  

82-year-old Chinese runner Ding Ming (right) Photo: Courtesy of Ma Weizhong

The hurdler's victory quickly sparked widespread discussion on Chinese social media, with many young people joking that they could not keep up with an octogenarian. 

"Oh my gosh! An 82-year-old can run the hurdles in under 16 seconds, and I can't even break 16 seconds at 28!" said one Sina Weibo user from Central China's Hunan Province. 

Actually, Ding is not a professional athlete. 

He first took up hurdling during his school years and spent most of his career in the technology sector before retirement, with track and field remaining a lifelong hobby.

When asked how he has been able to maintain such a high level of competitive performance at the age of 82, Ding attributed it to consistency, a gradual and scientific approach to training, and knowing his own limits. 

He said athletes should avoid rushing for results or pushing training intensity and frequency too high, stressing that preventing injuries is above all else.

He was also inspired by the self-discipline of fellow senior athletes. Ding recalled one retired athlete decided to compete in the domestic masters' championships after watching their training sessions and competitions. At the time, the former athlete had gained considerable weight, but he set himself a strict training and lifestyle plan to prepare for the event.

Once a daily drinker who would sometimes drink twice a day, the ­athlete gave up alcohol almost entirely, turning down social gatherings and drinking only a small amount on Chinese New Year's Eve. He exercised every morning and remained physically active in the afternoons. Within a year, Ding said, he seemed like a completely different person, having lost around 30 kilograms.

At the China Masters Athletics Championships held in Hunan in May, he clocked 16.73 seconds, breaking the national record in the men's 80-84 age group for the 80-meter hurdles, which he had previously held himself.

He has also taken the lead in building a community where middle-aged and elderly sports enthusiasts can connect, exchange experiences, and encourage one another.

Ding said he hopes to do his part to promote the national fitness movement and encourage more people to embrace track and field. 

He said he plans to use his own experience of benefiting from regular exercise to inspire more people to start moving, while also seeking greater support from different sectors of society to further develop athletics among ordinary people. Through these efforts, he hopes to contribute to improving public fitness and advancing China's goal of becoming a leading sports nation.