National record 10.09, tough season and now Asian Games: Gurindervir Singh’s 100m test

Gurindervir Singh is hoping for a sub-10 run at the Asian Games. “The medal is the most important thing for me at the Asian Games.”Gurindervir Singh said this two weeks ago. Today is his first chance to support it.The Indian sprinter will start his campaign at the 2026 Asian Games in the men’s 100m today alongside compatriot Animesh Kujur, who has raced repeatedly at Gurindervir this season.Gurindervir comes to the Games after a season in which the results did not always live up to the expectations created by his national record.In Glasgow at the Commonwealth Games in July, he ran 10.39 seconds in his 100m heat. He finished second in the race, but did not advance to the semi-finals and thus finished the competition in 28th place overall.Another 10.39s was in Bhubaneswar on 22 August at the World Athletics Continental Tour Silver meet in Bhubneshwar where Gurindervir finished seventh in the final. Animesh was fifth with 10.32s.By the time the two Indians met again in Delhi on 10 September, Gurindervir had moved to 10:32; however, it was still not enough for Animesh, who won with a time of 10.21s.Gurindervir was naturally not satisfied.“I’m not happy with the timing, but yes, I found some parts of the race to be strong. I was very strong in the last 80 or 60 meters. The start was a bit weak for me. Maybe I couldn’t get off to a good start. My exit from the block was not good,” he told TimesofIndia.com after the race.The final part of the race was also an area the coach wanted to work on, especially the last 20 meters.“Yes, I will always have to work on it. There will always be a chance to improve until I play. Like the coach said, I have to work on the last 20 meters. So I have 2-2.5 weeks until the Asian Games. I have training. So as the race approaches, it will automatically improve,” Gurindervir said.

From 10.39am Glasgow to 10.32am Delhi: Gurindervir Asian Games build-up

Those two weeks have now passed and the 25-year-old said his preparation for the Commonwealth Games included work outside the race itself.“After the Commonwealth Games, I improved a lot in terms of physicality, weight training, track and endurance. I tried to improve everything and I did.”He was also clear about where the Asian Games were in his plans.“The main event is the Asian Games. The ultimate goal is the Asian Games,” he said.Another number associated with Gurindervir’s campaign is 10.09s – a national record he set at the National Senior Athletics Championships in Ranchi in May.

‘Make it happen at the Asian Games’: Gurindervir on the under-10 barrier

The season’s best is also his personal best, and the next obstacle or goal is rather obvious. Gurindervir talked about a 10-second break, but when asked about his possibility, he hoped it could happen in Aichi-Nagoya.“If it’s going to happen, let it happen at the Asian Games.”“Because the timing comes in training. They (the support team) show it. They show the timing that it can happen. So I’ll have to try again and again. I’ll have to run the race. When I run, the time will improve. And then I’ll run under 10.”But he also left room for the race itself to decide whether that would happen. “When we have good races and the conditions are good, I will run well. My body will fully respond. So it can happen on the day.”The Asian Games will provide a different test than the domestic events that have taken up much of his season. Gurindervir is not convinced that the top sprinters in Asia are beyond his reach.

The medal is the most important thing.” Gurindervir faces Asia’s best

The field includes Japan’s Yuki Koike, who has a 9.98s PB and Shuhei Tada (10.01s), while Thailand’s Puripol Boonson has run 9.94s. China’s Xie Zhenye, a former Asian champion, owns a 9.97s PB and Iran’s Hassan Taftian has run 10.03s. Gurindervir’s national record of 10.09 puts him in that group, with Animesh on 10.14 s.“They’ve been running well and we’re running well,” he said.“(It depends on who’s day it is, who’s feeling good, whose body is running. Anything can happen. We can’t predict the 100 meters.”He added: “It’s not like they’re super strong and we’re way behind them. There’s a tiny difference of one or two micropoints. So we don’t even know who’s ahead and who’s behind.”Animesh’s presence at the same event has been a constant throughout the season for Gurindervir, but he doesn’t see their competition as a distraction.“It’s a healthy thing. I think it’s happening in athletics; more people have started watching athletics with interest. It’s good for us, too. He gets motivated, I get motivated. We train better and there’s a focus on training. We’re consistent. So it’s a good thing.”The national record of 10.09 is already his. The limit below 10 is still there. But when asked what he wanted from the Asian Games, he did not focus on the timing.“A medal is the most important thing in the Asian Games. Timing is important. If we run well, we will get a medal. But I have worked hard all year for a medal and I am still working on it. I will do my best to get a medal and finish on the podium.”