Yang Chun-han Ties National 100m Record and Qualifies for Nagoya Asian Games

Taiwanese sprinter Yang Chun-han has equalled the national 100-metre record with a time of 10.11 seconds in a competition held in the United States, securing qualification for the upcoming Asian Games in Nagoya.

The performance, recorded on April 12, 2026, at the Bryan Clay Invitational in Azusa, California, marks Yang’s personal best and the fastest time ever recorded by a Taiwanese athlete in the event. It matches the previous national record set by Yi Wei-chen in 2018.

Yang’s run not only places him among Asia’s elite sprinters but also confirms his place on Taiwan’s team for the 19th Asian Games, scheduled to take place in Nagoya, Japan, from September 12 to October 3, 2026. The qualifying standard for the men’s 100 metres at the Asian Games is 10.16 seconds, meaning Yang’s time comfortably exceeds the requirement.

Consistent Form Builds Confidence Ahead of Major Tournament

This is not the first time Yang has approached the national benchmark this season. Earlier in April, he clocked 10.12 seconds at a meet in Taipei, coming within one-hundredth of a second of the record. His steady progression over the past year has been guided by his coaching staff at Chinese Taipei Athletics Association, who have emphasized technical refinement in his start and transition phases.

Yang, who turned 26 in January 2026, has competed internationally since his debut at the 2017 World Championships in London. His career highlights include a sixth-place finish in the 100 metres at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou and multiple national titles in both the 60 metres and 100 metres.

National Record Context and Regional Competition

The men’s 100-metre national record in Taiwan has stood at 10.11 seconds since Yi Wei-chen achieved it at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta. Prior to Yi, the record had been held by Liu Yuan-kai, who ran 10.18 in 2015. Yang’s tying of the mark ends an eight-year period during which no Taiwanese sprinter had matched or surpassed the benchmark.

Regionally, Yang’s time places him within striking distance of the top performers in East Asia. Japan’s Ryota Yamagata holds the Asian record at 9.95 seconds, set in 2021, while China’s Su Bingtian ran 9.83 in 2021 — the fastest time ever recorded by an East Asian athlete. Yang’s 10.11 ranks him among the top ten Taiwanese performers in history and positions him as a contender for a semifinal berth at the Asian Games.

Next Steps and Preparation for Nagoya

Yang is expected to compete in one final tune-up event before the Asian Games, likely the Taiwan National Championships in Kaohsiung in late June. There, he will aim to sharpen his race endurance and prepare for the multiple-round format of the Asian Games competition, which includes heats, semifinals, and a final.

The Chinese Taipei Athletics Association has confirmed that Yang will be part of a six-member sprint squad for Nagoya, which may include relay duties in the 4×100 metres. His performance in the United States has been praised by team officials as a sign of peak form arriving at the right moment.

With the Asian Games now less than five months away, Yang Chun-han’s achievement serves as both a personal milestone and a signal of Taiwan’s growing competitiveness in sprint athletics on the continental stage.