Surinam starlet breaks Tebogo U-20 100m World Record
In his first international competition, Surinam’s Issam Asinga broke the world U20 100m record by clocking 9.89* (0.8m/s) on the first day of competition at the 53rd South American Championships in Sao Paulo, Brazil, over the weekend.
In what could arguably be one of the finest performances ever achieved at the oldest area championships, Asinga improved the world U20 record of 9.91 set by Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo at the World U20 Championships in Cali last year.
With his time, 18-year-old Asinga also broke the senior South American record, beating the 10.00 mark set by Brazil’s legendary Robson da Silva in 1988.
Racing on the National Olympic Centre track (at 754m above sea level) at 2:14 pm local time, Asinga won his semifinal in 10.03 (-0.6m/s) to better the 24-year-old championship record of 10.06 set by Brazil’s Andre Domingos da Silva. The final started at 3:38 pm
, when the temperature was 29°C with 40% humidity.
Asinga, running in lane 5, was dominant from the start. Brazilian Erik Cardoso also started well, but the second part of Asinga’s race was too much for the local sprinter. Despite relaxing in the final stages, Asinga stopped the clock in 9.89, leading the top three all under 10 seconds and inside the previous area record.
Cardoso ran a Brazilian record of 9.97, and Ronal Longa – also a U20 athlete – had a Colombian record of 9.99. The depth and quality of the race was enhanced by another national record, 10.24 by Venezuela’s David Vivas, who placed sixth.
“I am very pleased with my performance,” said Asinga, who had previously dipped under 10 seconds on four occasions, but with wind-assisted times. “I knew the result would eventually happen, that it was only a matter of time.”
Asinga was born in Atlanta, USA, and grew up in Zambia, where his mother was born. His father is Surinam’s Tommy Asinga, who still holds the country’s national records for 400m, 800m, and 1500m, and represented the nation at the 1988, 1992, and 1996 Olympic Games.
The women’s 100m had some drama and fine results. Brazilian Lorraine Martins, who was among the favourites having run 11.16 this season, suffered an injury after the start of the final. That opened the door for her compatriot Vitoria Rosa, who took victory in 11.17 (0.7m/s), a season’s best that also equalled the 24-year-old championship record.
After wins in 2019 and 2021, Rosa is the second sprinter to take three successive titles at the event, emulating another Brazilian, Lucimar de Moura, who achieved the feat between 1997 and 2001. Moura also won in 2005, 2007 and 2009. Ecuadorians Angela Tenorio (11.30) and Aimara Nazareno (11.38) completed the podium behind Rosa.
