JINAN, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) -- In light rain at the men's M90 long jump final of the 2026 World Masters Athletics Championships in Daegu, South Korea, 92-year-old Lyu Mingpu stepped onto the runway, took off and landed at 2.05 meters to claim the title.
First held in 1975, the World Masters Athletics Championships are a biennial competition for athletes aged 35 and above. At this year's edition, Lyu won two gold medals, one silver and one bronze.
"Sport is not reserved for the young people. We are old, but our passion for sport never fades," he said.
In his younger days, Lyu did not stand out athletically. His 100-meter time was just over 13 seconds, an unremarkable result in his class. Yet his enthusiasm for physical activity has endured for decades.
"I hope everyone can find a sport they love and keep at it. When we grow older, we may train a little less, but we must never give up easily," he said.
At 71, Lyu took part in a track and field competition for the first time and won a bronze medal, an achievement that further fueled his enthusiasm for athletics. "My body aches during training, but proper warmup helps ease the discomfort if I hang in there," he said.
Lyu trains with a group of local athletics enthusiasts whose ages range from 35 to 92.
"My teammates celebrated my birthday with me on the track. I can't even describe how happy I was," Lyu said.
In Daegu, Lyu entered the 100m, 200m, 400m, 4x100m relay, long jump and triple jump, finishing in the top eight in every event.
"I wasn't fully confident at first, so I signed up for multiple events to experience the atmosphere," he explained.
What impressed Lyu most was not either of his two gold medals, but the bronze he won in the 200m. He had initially finished fourth before the original bronze medalist was disqualified, moving him up to third.
"Other medals show my normal training form. But in that 200m race, if I hadn't fought to finish fourth, I would have never had the chance of winning that bronze. This surprise holds special meaning," Lyu said.
He has already set his sights on the next World Masters Athletics Championships in Breda, the Netherlands, in 2028.
"It is an unchangeable natural law that physical capacity declines with age," he admitted. But Lyu hopes to continue running and competing for as long as he can, and even take part in competitions after turning 100.
"This achievement does not belong to me alone. It is also a highlight for senior sports enthusiasts," he said. "Senior athletes also have sporting passion. I hope we can have more opportunities and platforms to show what we are capable of." Enditem
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