PERTH, Australia — For this competition, the most astonishing name on the start list for 100 meters did not belong to Usain Bolt. But what Dharam Pal Singh of India lacked in renown, he more than made up for as an international man of mystery.
If Singh really was 119, born on Oct. 6, 1897, as his passport said, his presence would be extraordinary at the World Masters Athletics Championships. This would make him not only the oldest known runner in the world but probably the oldest man in the world.
The problem was, many people did not believe his story.