Yoshihide Kiryū

Yoshihide Kiryū, born on December 15, 1995, in Hikone, Shiga Prefecture, is a distinguished Japanese sprinter renowned for his specialization in the 100 metres. His athletic journey began in elementary school, where he initially played football. However, it was during junior high school, inspired by his brother's involvement in track and field, that Kiryū discovered his passion for sprinting.

In 2011, Kiryū made a significant mark by clinching the under-16 national title in the 100 metres at the National Sports Festival of Japan, clocking an impressive time of 10.58 seconds. The following year, he competed in the under-18 category at the same event and achieved a remarkable feat by breaking the world youth best for the 100 metres. On October 5, 2012, he surpassed Tamunosiki Atorudibo's record by two hundredths of a second, setting a new benchmark.

Just weeks later, on November 3, 2012, Kiryū further lowered his own record to an astonishing 10.19 seconds. His prowess continued to shine on April 29, 2013, when he tied the World junior record of 10.01 seconds at the Oda Memorial meet while still a student at Rakunan High School. Unfortunately, the IAAF did not recognize this time as an official record due to the use of unapproved wind-speed measurement equipment.

Kiryū's talent culminated in a remarkable achievement at the 2016 Summer Olympics, where he contributed to Japan's success by winning a silver medal in the 4 × 100 metres relay, solidifying his status as one of the leading sprinters in the world.