Malaysia’s top quarter-miler Sheeren Samson Vallabouy faced a shock early exit at the Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi, South Korea, after a disappointing performance in the women’s 400m heats on Tuesday.
The 26 year old, who was expected to be a strong contender for a podium finish following her bronze at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, clocked a slunggish 54.08s far off her national record of 51.79, to finish fifth in her heat, failing to qualify for the semi-finals.
Shereen’s performance was well below her season’s best of 53.66, recorded at the Tom Jones Memorial Invitational that took place in April at Florida. Despite her intense training under coach Derrick White in the US and her recent times indicating strong form, the final 100m saw her visibly struggle.
“I’m disappointed with my race today. It just wasn’t my day. My body couldn’t execute a good run. I’m not making excuses, I just need to figure out what went wrong and come back stronger.’
Malaysia Athletics (MA) technical director John Ballard shared the sentiment. “She trained well and looked sharp last week in Bangi. But during the race, her final stretch looked strained. I believed her race tactics were off,” he said.
Despite the setbacks, Shereen is set to complete as a wild card entry at the World Championships in September. She returns to Florida later this week to refocus and regroup.
With Shereen out, Malaysia’s medal hopes now largely rest on national discus record holder Irfan Shamsuddin. Meanwhile, Umar Osman progressed to the men’s 400m semi finals with a time of 46.71s and Farrell Glenn Felix Jurus qualified to the men’s high jump final after clearing 2.05m.
In the women’s hammer throw, SEA Games gold medalist Grace Wong finished 10th with a throw of 59.15m. Compatriot Nurul Hidayah Lukman placed 12th, registering 46.00m.
As the championships continue, Malaysian fans will be hoping for a turnaround in fortunes through the remaining events.
Sources: NST
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