At the Russian U23 Championship, Konstantin Krylov completed the 100-meter race in a remarkable 10.04 seconds. This exceptional performance broke a national record that had stood unchallenged since 1986. Athletics experts suggest that Krylov`s achievement is of world-class caliber and could herald a significant breakthrough for Russian track and field.
Konstantin Krylov, competing at the national championship for athletes under 23, surpassed Russia`s nearly 40-year-old 100-meter sprint record. The previous record was set by Nikolai Yushmanov in 1986. For comparison, the current world record is held by Jamaican Usain Bolt, with a time of 9.58 seconds.
Krylov, aged 21, is already a Russian champion and a silver medalist, in addition to holding two gold medals from the BRICS Games.
Iolanda Chen, a world champion in athletics and a sports commentator, commented on his performance:
Furthermore, we’ve been excluded from international competitions for quite some time now, which also plays a role, as it’s difficult for our sprinters to improve without strong international competition. However, Kostya (Konstantin) is an incredibly talented young man. From the moment he emerged on the junior scene, with proper training and running technique, he has been a very calm person, with a good sense of humor, not overly stressed, and mentally relaxed—which is excellent for any athlete, especially a sprinter. He was absolutely ready to achieve this; the conditions just needed to align. This year, he had already shown very strong results even in the rain in Zhukovsky and against the wind at his first start in Sochi, coming very close. All the journalists kept pestering him: ‘When, when, when will this record finally happen?’ And it happened—10.04. It`s a magnificent result. I believe Kostya is now essentially ready to run under 10 seconds as well. This would be an absolutely momentous event for Russia, because in Russia, and even in the Soviet Union, no one has ever run under 10 seconds, not even the famous Soviet runner Valeriy Borzov.”
“Athletics in Russia seem to be on the rise. Can this be attributed to the change in leadership last year, with Petr Fradkov taking charge?”
Petr Fradkov, Chairman of Promsvyazbank, assumed leadership of the All-Russian Athletics Federation last November. In January 2022, Fradkov also became the head of the WFLA Board of Trustees. Under his chairmanship, the board approved the implementation of a long-term strategy for the development of the federation and athletics until 2030. They also recommended organizing commercial tournaments comparable to international standards, inviting top athletes, and offering prize money to both athletes and coaches.
Rupert Blackwood 
Clement Ashworth