Sprinter Felix Diu eyes new HK 100m record after Paris

Hong Kong sprinter Felix Diu, fresh from his Olympic debut in Paris, said he now wants to set a new SAR record in the men’s 100m. Diu finished fourth in his heat at the Paris Games in 10.62 seconds, and said he was thrilled to have competed with the world's top runners at the Stade de France. “It’s quite awesome, because we've seen a lot of world-class athletes here and it's a great experience to see such a huge venue here and a lot of people watching me compete in the competition,” he said. The 24-year-old Olympic debutant was taking part despite a leg injury. Diu entered the Paris Games through a wild card. Olympic qualification for the 100m sprint was 10 seconds, and his personal best is 10.33 seconds. The sprinter said his next goal is to break the Hong Kong record of 10.28 seconds, jointly held by Tsui Chi-ho and Ng Ka-fung. The 100m specialist noted that for the first time, the Olympic track in purple, instead of red or blue. It's made with recycled shells produced by the fishing industry, as part of efforts to promote sustainability. And the track at the Stade de France is not completely rubber on the bottom but is filled with air cells of a geometric shape, to boost athletes’ performances and prevent injuries. “I think the purple track is really making the athletes really comfortable to combat in and also the material they use is very bouncing, so it's really helpful for our performance,” Diu said. Diu started training in secondary school because he enjoyed the excitement of sprinting. “I just quite enjoy the process of training and competition. It brings me satisfaction and excitement,” he said. And with the Los Angeles Games four years away, he said he will continue to improve his game and work hard as a full-time athlete.