Hong Kong sprinter inspired by Su Bingtian to step on international stage

Cheng Cheung Hung, a sprinter from Hong Kong, China, says Asia's fastest man Su Bingtian is his hero, who encouraged him to work hard to step on the world stage one day.

"Su Bingtian created a new Asian record. His super performance definitely earned him the title of 'Su-per,' I had the pleasure of shaking his hand, which was a great inspiration," said Cheng after his competition in China's first Student (Youth) Games on Monday.

Su was the first Chinese to run 100 meters in under 10 seconds in 2015, followed by Xie Zhenye in 2018. With a personal best of 9.83 seconds in the 100 meters event, he is the fifth fastest man all-time in the category at the Olympics.

Four weeks ago, Su delivered a lecture in Hong Kong when Cheng not only shook hands with his idol, but also was inspired by Su's speech.

"It was truly an enlightening experience for me," recalled Cheng. "Su encouraged us to try and challenge ourselves, to break the limit. Combining talent and hard work, we can step on the world stage."

In the men's 4x100 meters relay final of the Open category, the Hong Kong team finished fifth in 40.45 seconds on Monday afternoon. The 19-year-old captain admitted they had room to improve.

"Maybe compared to other teams, our advantage is not so obvious, so we chose some special strategies. However, the process of competition is a lesson for us. We can learn from others," said Cheng.

Majored in Physical Therapy, Cheng has well balanced his academic studies and training at Hong Kong Metropolitan University.

"The main thing is to do a good job of time allocation for studying and training," he said.

"In the classroom and on the sports field, it's all about learning. We can see the performance of different regional teams through participating in competitions, which is also a learning process." 

Through studying physical therapy at university, Cheng gained a deeper understanding of human body structure and conducted scientific analysis of sprinting. He said he can be aware of the change in his physical state now and immediately adjust his training volume based on his knowledge and research.

"It would be a great honor to be involved in sports [after graduating from university], to pass on the experience I have learned now to the next generation, and I hope to help the development of sports in Hong Kong," Cheng said.