“Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, OTHERS MAKE IT HAPPEN.”
This young sprinter has done it again!
Our national women’s athlete Shereen Samson Vallabouy who recently logged a record-breaking feat, has just shattered that record, jotting another sturdy triumph. Shereen has again crushed the National 400m Indoor Record after she clocked in at 52.27s, at the Division II Indoor Track and Field Championships in Virginia, USA.
With the record of 52.27s, the 24-year-old athlete not only successfully defended her US National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II 400m indoor championship, but she also set the FOURTH FASTEST time in NCAA Division II history.
The scholar of Winona State University previously set the national benchmark of 53.47 seconds at the Bearson Gathje Classics in Minnesota in January, but she topped it last month, Febraury, when she recorded 52.87 seconds at the Lewis International in Chicago, Illinois.
Taking this remarkable triumph to her social media platform, Shereen shared this happy news with her fans :-
“Couldn’t ask for a better way to end my last Indoor season as a collegiate athlete bringing home two hardwares!” she penned.
Being the first international student-athlete to accomplish this feat, Shereen who is the youngest daughter of Malaysia’s distinguished middle-distance running couple, Samson Vallabouy and Josephine Mary, also received great accolades in the US for her record-breaking senior season.
Previously, the daughter of the former Olympian won bronze medals in the 400m and 4x400m relay in the 2015 SEA Games and was a member of the bronze-medal winning 4x400m relay team at the 2017 SEA Games.
Even though Shereen’s time was set indoors, she surpasses the national 400m outdoor record of 52.56s set by the late Rabia Abdul Salam in Manila, Philippines during the 1993 Asian Championships.
The Perak Athletics Association’s president, Datuk Karim Ibrahim remarked that he is confident Shereen will soon break Rabia’s record for the outdoor event.
“Shereen has broken her indoor 400m record once again with her time, while also having dipped under Rabia’s outdoor record of 52.56s which was done 30 years ago. I think she will be able to break it outdoors in the next few races she competes in,” he continues.
With this, Karim further stated that Shereen’s performance hinted that Malaysia might can hope a medal from her at the 2023 Cambodia SEA Games happening in May.
“The hope for a medal at the SEA Games is there but I am just not sure what colour will the medal be. She will need to run under 51s at the Sea Games, but I am sure she will be breaking the 400m outdoor record many more times to come,” he wrapped up.
Heartiest congratulations to Shereen Samson on accomplishing this feat and best of luck to you at the SEA Games.
Source: [1]
