Shanti Pereira suffers scare in 100m heat, but qualifies for Asian Games final

HANGZHOU, China: Shanti Pereira had to wait a little longer than usual on Friday (Sep 29) to confirm her place in the 100m final of the Asian Games .

At the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Stadium, the Singaporean clocked a time of 11.42s in a heat won by Bahrain's Saeed Alkhaldi (11.34s). Thailand's Supanich Poolkerd crossed the line second in a time of 11.36s.

“(Race was) not the best but let’s see how the next heat does to see where I am,” she told reporters after the conclusion of the heat.

“I’ve been here for a few days. Generally, it’s been okay, prep has been good. Can’t complain.”

But Pereira would eventually make the cut. 

While she had missed out on the two automatic qualifying spots in her heat, she went through by virtue of clocking the fastest time outside of the six automatic qualifiers.

Her time of 11.42s was the sixth fastest overall. China’s Ge Manqi clocked 11.17s to top the field.

Elizabeth-Ann Tan, the other Singaporean competing in the 100m, ran 12.00s in her heat to finish 15th out of 25 overall. 

“It was expected coming in that all the Chinese, Bahrain and Iranian girls (would be fast). Expected very quick times from them,” said the Singaporean.

Pereira will compete in the final on Saturday at 9.40pm local time. She is targeting a medal in both the 100m and 200m. 

Her 100m national record stands at 11.20s.

The last Singaporean to win an athletics gold was Chee Swee Lee (women's 400m) in 1974. Singapore’s last Asiad medal in the sport also came that year.

Going into the Games, 27-year-old Pereira has clocked the fastest timings of any Asian woman in the 100m and 200m this year.

In May, she became the first Singaporean woman to win both the 100m and 200m events at the same edition of the Southeast Asian (SEA)