Singapore sprint queen Shanti Pereira successfully defended her title and broke both the national and the games record as she took the gold in the women’s 200m event at the 32nd SEA Games with a timing of 22.69s at the Morodok Techo National Stadium on May 8.
In the 2021 SEA Games in Vietnam, Pereira won the gold medal with a time of 22.53s, which was then a national record too. This is Pereira’s third medal in the 200m sprint event as she also won a gold medal in the 2015 SEA Games. The games record was previously set by Philippines’ Kristina Knott in 2019 with a time of 23.01. That year Pereira won the bronze medal, sprinting to a time of 23.77s.
SEA Games 2023 – Women’s 200m Results
Meanwhile, Soh Rui Yong, a marathon gold medallist from the 2015 and 2017 SEA Games, was not too disappointing against the younger competitors in the 5,000m event on May 8. He managed to pace himself in the race and was among the group expected to finish on the podium. But towards the end of the race, Kieran Tuntivate of the Philippines picked up speed and left Soh and the rest of the pack behind to win the gold medal with a time of 14:34.77s. This is Tuntivate’s second medal of the 5,000m event as he won gold in the 2019 SEA Games – 14:31.15. Soh ended the race in fourth place with a time of 14:48.43, while the other Singapore competitor in this event, Jeevanesh, finished in 15th position 15:51.63.
Singapore won two bronze medals in the track and field competition courtesy of Goh Chui Ling in the women’s 1,500 race and Michelle Sng in the high jump competition.
This is Goh’s second bronze medal in the race. She had also won bronze in the previous SEA Games. Defending champion Vietnamese Nguyen Thi Oanh was unmatched by the rest of the competitors as she left them miles ahead to win the gold (04:16.85), while compatriot Bui Thị Ngan took the silver medal (04:24.57). Goh came third with a time of 04:26.33. For Sng, she is back at the podium after her historic gold medal performance at the 2017 SEA Games. Sng jumped a season’s best of 1.73m to clinch the bronze medal.
Photo credit: SNOC (Eng Chin An) and Singapore Athletics
Singapore won one gold, three silvers and seven bronze medals at the last SEA Games. In addition, five national records and eight personal best timings were recorded in Vietnam. When Singapore hosted the SEA Games in 2015, Singapore won three golds, three silvers and three bronze medals in athletics. The three gold medals came from Soh in the marathon, Shanti in the 200m sprint, and Zhang Guirong in shot put.
This year, Singapore Athletics are sending a total of 31 track and field athletes to Cambodia and the association’s president Lien Choon Luen hopes that the nation will be able to give their moral support to the athletes as they pursue glory at the SEA Games.
“We would also like to take this opportunity to express our appreciation to the coaches, trainers, and support staff who have worked tirelessly behind the scenes to help our athletes achieve their goals. Their efforts are invaluable and have contributed greatly to the success of our athletes. We are confident that our athletes will continue to make Singapore proud in the SEA Games 2023, and we wish them all the best in their upcoming competitions. We encourage all Singaporeans to rally behind our team and show their support by cheering them on as they compete on the regional stage. Together, let us celebrate the hard work and achievements of our athletes and inspire the next generation of young Singaporeans to pursue their dreams,” said Lien, Singapore Athletics president.
Photo credit: Singapore Athletics
Asian Games 2023 complete team list: Shanti, Kean Yew + 429 other athletes represent Singapore
SINGAPORE: There are only a few weeks till the Hangzhou Asian Games, to be held from Sept 23 to Oct 8, and excitement is in the air over the Singaporean athletes competing this year. Here is Singapore’s Asian Games 2023 complete team list.
The Singapore National Olympic Council announced last weekend that this year’s 431-strong contingent across 32 sports is the largest so far and unveiled that Mr Jowen Lim (Wushu) and Ms Amita Berthier (Fencing) are to be the flagbearers at this year’s Games.
Ms Berthier will also double up as the pledge taker.
The team includes former badminton world champion Loh Kean Yew and his older brother, Loh Kean Hean, as well as Sprint Queen Shanti Pereira, who has been having an amazing year.
Dr Koh Koon Teck, Chef de Mission for Team Singapore, said, “The athletes have their targets set and will be working closely with their performance team to meet them. I am confident that if they continue to train well and keep their focus, they will be able to perform to the best of their ability in Hangzhou.
“This year, we have also seen impressive performances from our athletes at the Cambodia 2023 SEA Games as well as at other competitions, and I hope Singaporeans can join us in encouraging them to continue to put their best form forward for Singapore.”
This year’s games had been scheduled for last year but were postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
There will be 483 events in 40 sports at the Asian Games.
Here is the full list of athletes on Team Singapore
Shanti Pereira, the sprint queen from Singapore, incurred an injury a few months before the Paris Olympics. Singapore Athletics (SA) announced the unfortunate news through a statement posted on their website.
It stated: “Shanti has been ruled out of action with a leg injury ahead of the 84th Singapore Open Track & Field Championships as well as the Diamond League competition in Xiamen and Shanghai.”
Coach Luis Cunha reported that the runner had suffered a “common sports injury” and that, as a precaution, her competitive schedule would be modified to prioritize her healing. According to a statement from Singapore Athletics, it will collaborate with Pereira, her coach, and the Singapore Sport Institute (SSI) to make sure she gets all the help she needs to rehabilitate.
Pereira and Paris
She was supposed to travel back to Singapore to compete in the Singapore Open Track and Field Championships. She has been in Florida, USA, for training at the National Training Centre in Orlando. Moreover, Pereira was to be primarily situated in Europe to help her get ready for the August Games in Paris.
The organization declared that they will be “working closely with Luis to reorganize her training preparations towards Paris 2024 in the coming weeks.”
“In the meantime, she will train and undergo rehabilitation in Singapore,” her coach expressed.
Pereira’s race in the National Athletics Centre in Budapest, Hungary in August 2023 qualified her for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games in the 200 meters division.
China, the Asian Games host country, added two more gold medals to its already impressive haul after dominating the men’s and women’s 100-meter sprint events.
Xie Zhenye
China’s Xie Zhenye, who currently holds the Asian record in the 200 meters, demonstrated his exceptional speed on the track on September 30, when he defeated his rivals in a 100 meters event, clocking a time of 9.97 seconds.
Running closely behind Xie is Thailand’s Boonson Puripol, who got second place with a time of 10.02 seconds, and Malaysia’s Muhammad Azeem Bin Mohd Fahmi, who got third place with a time of 10.11 seconds.
Upon being declared the winner, Xie Zhenye embraced his wife before the assembled crowd. Onlookers also began to approach the pair and whip out their mobile phones to capture the romantic moment. After the hug, Xie let the world know that his momentous victory at the 100 m event was dedicated to his wife by shouting, “This moment is for you!”.
This moment was also shared on the X account of the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022 Official, where the caption read:
The romantic vibe filled the entire arena after China’s Xie Zhenye claimed the gold in the Men’s 100m at Hangzhou Asian Games. He embraced his wife, saying, “This moment is for you!”
— The 19th Asian Games Hangzhou Official (@19thAGofficial) September 30, 2023
Ge Manqi
Meanwhile, China’s Ge Manqi also proved herself worthy of a gold medal in the women’s 100 meter event when she finished the race in just 11.23 seconds. Although Ge was lagging behind her rivals in the early stages of the race, she persevered and kept pushing forward. After the midpoint of the race, Ge began to increase her speed and eventually overtook her rivals at the end.
Singapore’s Veronica Shanti Pereira settled for second place with a time of 11.27 seconds, while Bahrain’s Hajar Saad Saeed Saad Alkhaldi settled for third place with a time of 11.35 seconds.
After Ge was announced the winner, she burst into tears as she embraced her compatriot, crying tears of joy at having achieved the victory in the 100m event.
Global Times also shared the triumphs of the two Chinese sprinters on their X account.
“Chinese sprinters Ge Manqi and Xie Zhenye won gold medals in both the men’s and women’s 100m finals at the 19th #AsianGames in #Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, East China, on Sep 30.”
For many years now, track and field athletes have been impressing their fans all around the world with their impressive performances, back-to-back records and winning titles from various competitions.
These current women champions in the said field have undeniably shown how to be the greatest and strongest in their chosen sport by showcasing their inspiring perseverance and athleticism.
Sha’Carri Richardon (USA)
With an average time of 10.65 seconds, Sha’Carri Richardson was hailed as the world champion in women’s 100 meters at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest. Her endurance and determination have resulted in shaving 0.02 seconds off the previous best time, established by Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce the year before.
Photo: Instagram.com/itsshacarri
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (USA)
In all of American history, McLaughlin-Levrone has the second fastest time recorded, having 48.74 seconds on the scoreboard at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene.
Due to her dedication, she had beaten her personal best of 49.51 seconds. This was her fifth consecutive historic championship, having also set a world record in the 400-meter hurdles in the Tokyo Games and the Olympic Trials in 2021.
Photo: Instagram.com/sydneymclaughlin16
Kristin Pudenz (GER)
An exceptional performance was given by Kristin Pudenz when she placed second in the Discus throw at the European Championships in 2022 and the Tokyo Olympics last 2020.
Although she did not have a good result in the 2022 World Championship, she finished strong in 2023 by having the top three distances at the Silesia Diamond League. Her current best distance is 66.84km at Chorzow last June 2023.
Photo: Instagram.com/kristin.pudenz
With each passing track and field season, these empowered women never cease to enthrall spectators in their excellent feats. They are truly representations of strength and bravery in sports. These athletes remain committed in their chosen career to serve as inspirations for the next generations.
At the Suzhou Diamond League, Daryll Neita of Britain defeated Sha’Carri Richardson as she gained the win in the women’s 200m event of the competition. In her season-opening outdoor singles race, Neita finished ahead of Anavia Battle from America, who clocked in at 22.99 seconds, with a record time of 22.62 seconds.
Richardson, another American athlete who is well-known as the 100m champion and also competed in the 200-meter event, finished third in 23.11.
With her victory, Neita declared: “I came here praying and hoping for the win… To come out here and win it, in a decent time, in such a strong field, I feel confident going forward.”
Neita and the Suzhou Diamond League
She added: “It was such a strong field and to run that time at this stage of the season is amazing…To hear the crowd, who were so loud and receive so much support from the Chinese people was something else. My main focus for the rest of the season is to stay healthy and in one piece. I hope to really win a medal at the Olympics.”
The Diamond League circuit’s next meeting is scheduled for May 10 in Doha, Qatar, and the women’s 200m will be substituted with the 100m event.
In other news, with a time of one minute 45.55, British athlete Ethan Hussey finished fifth in the men’s 800m.
