Paralympic superstar Felix Streng shares the essence of the 100m race

Imagine standing on the starting blocks at the world’s third largest sporting event, the Paralympic Games, knowing that years of hard work and dedication come down to just 10 seconds. This is how German Paralympic champion Felix Streng describes competing in the 100-metre race. 

“The 100m is a super special event because it all comes down to one moment, the one opportunity. You only have one shot to go all out,” said Streng, who won the men’s 100m T64 at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. 

Taking the seventh lane at Tokyo’s Olympic Stadium, he crossed the finish line in 10.76 seconds, just 0.02 seconds ahead of Costa Rica’s Sherman Guity. Great Britain’s two-time Paralympic champion Jonnie Peacock and Germany’s Johannes Floors both took bronze in a close final. 

While it was the biggest milestone in his career so far, the 28-year-old Paralympic superstar says he is aiming to pull off his perfect race, in which ‘every little detail’ clicks, at Paris 2024. 

“At first (the 100m race) looks like it’s a super physical event, but I think it’s a very, very mental event because you have to trust yourself and have confidence,” Streng said. 

“I think Tokyo was one of those races, but I think I had some good and fast races even before that, like ‘Wow, that was a really fast and solid race. I wouldn’t say that there was one race in particular,” he added. “Probably I still wait for (the one perfect race) and probably I will show it next year.” 

Ten seconds of freedom 

Streng, who competes with a running blade, says people fail to see how technical the 100m race is, because it is considered such a “simple” event. 

“When you’re on the racetrack, every little detail becomes so important, and everybody on the starting blocks knows what’s coming next,” he explained. “It’s not like a team sport, where there’s going to be an unknown situation where you have to react. 

“Everything is clear, and everybody understands what’s going to happen, so you have to fully be prepared for this one moment.” 

Nevertheless, sprinting is what gives the two-time Paralympian a sense of freedom. 

“It gives you such a special feeling and just a kick of adrenaline in such a short time. I think every sprinter realised that after a good race, how amazing it feels.” 

Bold decisions 

Looking back, Streng says that making bold decisions laid the foundation to his success. He believes that his story of triumph “started even before” he arrived in the Japanese capital in August 2021. 

A few months before the delayed Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, he chose to leave his training base in Leverkusen, Germany, and move to London to work with a new coach. There, he instantly drew inspiration from working with athletes from different countries and backgrounds. 

“During COVID, I felt I needed some training stimuli and I needed to change. I needed to get a new idea of sprinting and I felt like it was time after eight years in Leverkusen to just make a change,” he said. 

Streng made his Paralympic debut at Rio 2016, where he picked up three medals, including a gold in the men’s 4x100m T42-47 relay. In Tokyo, he also took silver in the men’s 200m T64, crossing behind Guity of Costa Rica, five days after topping the podium in the 100m. 

“It’s hard to describe (what winning the 100m gold medal was like) because it was always something I wanted to achieve. The 100m in our category is one of the main events of the Paralympic Games and one of the most competitive events,” he said. 

Paris around the corner 

With less than a year to go until the Paris 2024 Paralympics, Streng is looking to pull off the perfect race. While his journey since Tokyo 2020 has had a lot of difficulties, the German athlete considers every race - both good and bad - to be a learning opportunity. 

At the Paris 2023 Para Athletics World Championships in July, he finished with a bronze medal in the 100m won by Italy’s Maxcel Amo Manu, who was making his debut in the tournament. 

“Something you need to learn as an athlete is that there are ups and downs in the journey. You have to deal with the success of being an athlete, but you also have to deal with failure,” Streng said.

The key to coping with failure is to be critical and honest with yourself, but also to have the strength and the mindset to stand up again even when you fall, he explained. 

“You have to have the mental power and the will to stand up and go again,” the Paralympic champion said, adding that he is excited about competing in front of a full crowd at Paris’ Stade de France next year, instead of the empty stands in Tokyo due to the pandemic.

“I’m looking forward to the Paralympic Games back in Europe and with a crowd. I remember walking around Paris after the World Championships and I’m really looking forward to how energised the place will be next year.”