At Sunday's Aomori Masters Time Trials meet a Japanese men's team set a 4x400 m relay world record of 8:49.01 in the men's 90+ age category, taking nearly four minutes off the previous world record of 12:41.69 set in the United States in 2014.
Starting from a crouching start, leading runner Matashiro Suruga, 91, split roughly 2:07.5 before handing off to second runner Yuzo Kudo, 92. Kudo split 2:34.5, with third runner Kozo Mitsuya, 90, splitting 2:27.0 But anchor Hiro Tanaka, 90, delivered the biggest run of the day.
Out smooth and readily steadily, the stadium announcer predicted on the first curve that Tanaka would bring the team home under ten minutes. Hie was fast enough that less than 200 m later she revised that prediction to under nine minutes. Kicking in the last 100 m, Tanaka split an impressive 1:40 to bring the team home to the record. Without a doubt, it was the performance of the weekend worldwide.
We have all the splits 200 by 200, @JRNHeadlines
— Lorenzo Nesi (@CoachLN) May 26, 2021
2:07.5 (60.2 + 67.3)
2:34.4 (72.9 + 81.5)
2:27.3 (66.7 + 80.6)
1:39.8 (48.7 + 51.1)
Timed by A Lennart Julin who commented "It would have been faster if the 3rd guy hadn't been too eager."
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