Hidekichi Miyazaki dreams of competing with Usain Bolt

Very close to meeting the 104 years Hidekichi Miyazaki, holds the world record in the hectometer to "centenarians" and dreams to compete with Jamaican star Usain Bolt.
Miyazaki established a few years ago the world record for 100 meters with a time of centenarians 29.83 seconds and earned the nickname 'Golden Bolt', referring to the Jamaican champion. Now now preparing his next challenge, achieving a new world record in the category between 105 and 109 years old, and happily reveals his secret weapon: tangerine jam his daughter.

"I love racing Bolt" says Miyazaki told AFP in an interview after passing the finish line to applause in a recent Masters Athletics Championship in Japan, open to older athletes in Kyoto competition.

"I keep the dream alive. Try to stay in shape, be disciplined and maintain good health. It is important for everyone, even for Usain Bolt."

Born in 1910-the year when Japan annexed Korea as the Titanic was under construction, Miyazaki gave some diet tips to Bolt, whose world record stands at 9.58 seconds.

"My body is small so I have to watch what I eat", Miyazaki, only 1.53 meters tall and 42 kilograms said.

  "When I eat, chew each bite 30 times before swallowing. My stomach thanks you and this helps me to run. And I like my tangerine jam every day," he added.

In a country with one of the highest life expectancies, about 6,000 seniors are enrolled in Masters federation, celebrating over 40 competitions each year across the country.

Miyazaki Kiyono hugged her daughter, 73, after crossing the finish after 38.35 seconds, over 20 seconds behind the race winner Yoshio Kita, 82.

"I would give a five out of ten for this," he said after breath and copy the recognized pose Bolt pointed the finger at the sky. "Before running I've had a little nap. Big mistake! Was tense."

"I continue to be young so it is a learning process, joked, grinning from ear to ear as a straw hat standing. I can run for another five years."

late vocation

Miyazaki A native of Shizuoka, 200 miles southwest of Tokyo, the vocation he came quite late. He started running at age 92, one day after seeing some tests for older sport on television.

In 2010 he became the fastest poses centennial and now has his sights set on his next challenge.

"That's what I'm training," Miyazaki, losing valuable seconds at the start of the race because you do not hear the starting gun said.

"My birthday is next month and that's my goal," he added.

You only need to cross the finish line to set a new record, because there is no mark in the category between 105 and 109 years.

After Miyazaki left the track, Misue Tsuji, 85, launched a weight 4.73 meters. Before he set a record of 2.07 meters in the long jump discipline. And he also set a new record of 13.85 in 60 meters feminine.

"I started doing athletics when he was 81," he said. "My husband died and I thought there was no point turning stay home alone."

Tsuji participate with Miyazaki in the championships next month's Masters of Asia in northeastern Japan.

"I suffered a small fall last year and was going to happen," Tsuji said. "But my son told me that I may not be much to live, so I do what they tell me.'ll Keep going while in this world."

Debut in Honolulu

In Tokyo, Yoko Nakano, 78, prepares for his side to beat his new record.

He ran his first marathon at age 70 "for fun" when vacationing in Honolulu-in 4h04: 44-and now holds the record in the category of 75 to 79 years, as the world records in the 3,000 and 5,000 meters.

"We were on vacation and thought we could run," he said smiling. His world record in marathon is 3h53: 42.

Nakano, who also ran marathons in New York and Boston, has recovered from a stomach operation last year walking the halls of the hospital by way of rehabilitation.

"I walked about four miles a day in the hospital," he said. "I guess I'm too stubborn to quit".