Namadi Joel-jin Clocks 10.13 Seconds in Men's 100m, Matching Second-Fastest Time in Korean History

Rising South Korean track and field sprinter Namadi Joel-jin has matched the second-fastest 100m time in Korean history for an athlete.

Namadi Joel-jin finished first in the men's 100m open race at the 80th Niigata Prefecture Track and Field Championships, held at Denka Big Swan Stadium in Niigata, Japan, with a time of 10.13 seconds.

By breaking his previous personal best of 10.16 seconds, he equaled the second-fastest time in Korean men's 100m history, a record set by Viwesa Daniel Kasama in April.

Born to a Korean mother and a Nigerian father, Namadi Joel-jin has been showing rapid growth since debuting on the professional track and field circuit last year.

He set a personal best of 10.23 seconds at the Izumo meet in Japan in April, followed by a 10.16-second finish at a meet in Niigata earlier this month, and now 10.13 seconds at this competition.

The race was held as an exhibition event specifically for South Korean athletes who are ineligible to compete in the Japanese national championships, allowing them to check their performance and record official times. Viwesa, who competed alongside him, finished second with a time of 10.15 seconds.

The Korea Association of Athletics Federations plans to recognize these times as official records.

The South Korean national record for the men's 100m remains 10.07 seconds, set by Kim Kuk-young at the Korea Open International Athletics Meeting in June 2017.

(Photo: Courtesy of 700 Creators, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.