In a display of her exceptional form in 2023, Singaporean sprinter Shanti Pereira added another feather to her cap on Friday (Jul 14), securing a gold medal in the 100m race at the Asian Athletics Championships. This victory saw her establish yet another national record, her sixth in the current year, with a remarkable time of 11.20s. This record-breaking feat comes hot on the heels of her last record-breaking performance in Germany, just a few weeks prior.
At the event held in Bangkok, Pereira’s sprint was markedly ahead of the competition. Farzaneh Fasihi from Iran took the silver with a time of 11.39s, while Ge Manqi from China completed the podium finishes with a time of 11.40s.
The 26-year-old Singaporean runner etched her name in the annals of history earlier in May by becoming the first woman from Singapore to clinch victory in both the 100m and 200m events at the same Southeast Asian (SEA) Games. Furthermore, she has set new records for the 200m event three times this year alone. Her time of 22.69s at the SEA Games held in Cambodia also stands as a meet record.
Reflecting on the last Asian Athletics Championships in 2019, Pereira had ended her participation in the 100m semi-final with a time of 11.71s. However, this year saw a different outcome as she advanced from Round 1 on Thursday with a time of 11.50s, leading to her gold-medal finish in the semi-final on Friday afternoon with a time of 11.30s.
As her golden streak continues, Pereira is set to participate in the 200m event’s Round 1 on Saturday. She anticipates qualifying for the final on Sunday, where she plans to maintain her dazzling form.
