HANGZHOU – Singapore sprinter Shanti Pereira claimed a silver medal in the women’s 100m at the Hangzhou Asian Games on Saturday to win the Republic’s first athletics medal at the competition since 1974.
The 27-year-old crossed the line at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Stadium in 11.27sec, just 0.04sec behind the winner, China’s Ge Manqi. Bahrain’s Hajad Alkhaldi was third in 11.35sec.
Pereira, who had won the 100m and 200m events at the Asian Athletics Championships in July, had placed sixth in the heats with her time of 11.42sec.
China’s Ge, who was the 100m bronze medallist at July’s continental meet, had topped the heats in 11.17sec.
This is the latest accomplishment for Pereira in what has been a stellar year for her.
In addition to the two golds at the Asian Athletics Championships, she also bagged a historic sprint double in May’s SEA Games.
At August’s World Athletics Championships, she became the first Singaporean to reach the semi-finals after clocking 22.57 seconds in the 200m heats, and beating the Olympic qualifying mark.
Her silver on Saturday is the Republic’s 19th medal in athletics at the Asiad, with the last coming at the 1974 Games in Teheran, Iran, where Singapore won a gold, a silver and two bronzes.
Pereira will next take part in the women’s 200m, with the heats taking place on Sunday morning.
