Malaysian sprinter Shereen Samson Vallabouy is taking time to assess her next step after her Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games campaign, with her training setup remaining an important factor in planning for the upcoming season.
The 28-year-old 400m runner missed out on the final after finishing fourth in her heat with a time of 54.03 seconds on September 25. The result meant she was unable to defend the bronze medal she won at the previous Asian Games, but Shereen said she was satisfied with giving her best on the track.
One of the challenges Shereen faced throughout the season was training without a permanent physical coach. After returning from the United States last year, she spent a period training on her own before continuing with a combination of coaching support and an online training programme with a coach from the US.
While she acknowledged that training without a physical coach was difficult, Shereen also expressed appreciation for the continued support and encouragement from her online coach.
Her coaching arrangement could now be an area of focus as she looks towards next season. Malaysia’s national athletics squad recently welcomed South African coach Thabo Matebedi, but he had only around a month to work with Shereen before the Asian Games.
Rather than making an immediate decision, Shereen said she wants to have an open discussion with Matebedi about his approach to 400m training and understand how his system could fit into her preparations.
With the Asian Games marking her final championship of the 2026 season, Shereen is now set to take time to evaluate her direction before returning to competition next season. For the experienced sprinter, the next chapter will be about finding the right training approach as she continues her athletics journey and prepares for the challenges ahead.
Source: Malaymail
