Singapore's Shanti Pereira breaks 400m national record

SINGAPORE: Singapore sprint queen Shanti Pereira broke the 400m national record on Saturday (Mar 30) at the Florida Relays.

In an event that she seldom competes in, Pereira clocked 53.67 seconds – breaking the national record of 54.18 seconds that was set by Dipna Lim Prasad in the 2017 Southeast Asian Games.

Pereira came in fifth in the 400m race at the University of Florida, with Canada's Kyra Constantine taking the top spot with 51.50 seconds. 

The 27-year-old Singaporean was in Florida for a two-month training stint.

Last year was a career-defining year for Pereira, who also holds the national records for both the 100m and 200m events.

At the Hangzhou Asian Games, she won the women’s 200m final – Singapore’s first athletics gold medal since 1974.

She also ended Singapore’s nearly 50-year wait for a track and field medal at the Asian Games, after she clinched a silver in the 100m. 

In August, Pereira became the first Singaporean to make a World Championships semi-finals after a stellar showing in the 200m. 

She notched a sprint double at the Asian Athletics Championships in July and also became the first Singaporean woman to win both the 100m and 200m events at the same edition of the SEA Games in May.

The big meet for her this year will be the Paris Olympics, where she has already met the 200m qualifying mark.