Singapore’s sprint queen Shanti Pereira proved once again that she belongs among Asia’s elite, claiming silver in the women’s 100m final at the Asian Athletics Championships on 28th May. Racing at the Gumi Civic Stadium, the 28-year-old clocked 11.41 seconds, narrowly missing out on gold to China’s Liang Xiaojing, who crossed the line in 11.37 seconds.
Vietnam’s Tran Thi Nhi Yen took bronze with a time of 11.54 seconds. Though she didn’t get off to the start she hoped for, Shanti powered through the second half of the race to secure a strong finish
“I didn’t get the start I wanted but I stuck to my race plan and came away with a silver that wasn’t too far away from gold. Couldn’t be happier!”
Shanti entered the finals as the defending champion, having won the 100m and 200m gold in the 2023 edition in Thailand. Last year, she set a national record of 11.20 seconds in the 100m and went on to smash the 200m field with a meet record of 22.70 seconds.
While this year’s time was slightly off her personal best, it still marked an impressive comeback following a challenging 2024 season marred by a stress injury in her fibula. The injury had forced her to withdraw from multiple competitions, including her anticipated Diamond League debut in Xiamen and Shanghai, as well as major meets in Japan. It also disrupted her preparation for the Paris Olympics, where she did not progress past the 100m and 200m heats.
Despite those setbacks, Shanti has made a promising return in 2025. This silver medal in Gumi is her ninth race of the season, which began in February in Christchurch. New Zealand, where she clocked 11.68 seconds. Since then, she has trained and competed in New Zealand, Japan, and the Singapore Open, building up to this continental championship,
Her coach, Luis Cunha, praised the performance. “Everything we did this season was to prepare for this competition. This is our first major competition, so everything is good. She’s healthy, she’s in shape and she did a good race. This time, it was not enough to cross the finish line first, but everything was according to the plan and we cannot ask for more.”
Singapore Athletics president Lien Choong Luen echoed the sentiment, highlighting the strength of the field. “It was a very tight race today against very strong competition and Shanti was closing very strongly at the end. Her season has been going well with overseas training and races in New Zealand and Japan, as well as her great run at the Singapore Open last month. Looking forward to her upcoming 200m races.”
Next up for Pereira is the 200m heats on 30th May, an event where she’s both the defending champion and record holder. As the championships continue, all eyes will remain on Shanti as she prepares to defend her 200m crown and potentially add another medal to Singapore’s tally.
Sources: The Straits Time, CNA
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