The 2018 IAAF Shanghai Diamond League meeting will be held at Shanghai Stadium next Saturday, May 12. To a lot of Asian onlookers, the showdown between Chinese sprinter Su Bingtian and Japanese sprinter Yoshihide Kiryu will definitely be one of the highlights of the athletic meeting.

(Chinese athlete Su Bingtian at the London 2012 Summer Olympics)

In the men’s 100m, Olympic gold medalist Justin Gatlin, US sprint sensation Christian Coleman, Canada’s “Wonder Boy” Andre De Grasse and other world and Olympic champions are among the galaxy of international track and field stars announced for the Shanghai Diamond League meeting. As the fastest athletes in their own countries, Su Bingtian and Yoshihide Kiryu will also compete with each other for the title of fastest man in Asia.

Back in 2015, Su became the first Asia-born sprinter to officially beat the 10-second barrier in the men’s 100 meters, with a time of 9.99 seconds. In September 2017, Yoshihide Kiryu, caught the attention of the world after becoming the second Asia-born athlete to achieve the feat. He smashed Japan’s national 100m record in a time of 9.98 seconds to become the first Japanese to break the 10-second barrier.

Su's 9.99 seconds was first accomplished in an international arena, at the Diamond League Eugene meeting. He won third place while competing with well-known European and American athletes. Then, he clocked 9.99 seconds again in the men's 100m semi-final at the 15th IAAF World Championships. However, Yoshihide Kiryu’s sub-ten-second times were achieved mostly in national arenas in Japan.

However, looking at past achievements and data isn’t nearly as thrilling as watching the two contenders battle it out over 100m. So on May 12, either from in the stands or on television, we can find out who can be fleet of foot enough to appear to fly through the air on their way to another sub-ten-second time to rival the world’s best.