Singapore's sprint queen Shanti Pereira successfully retains SEA Games 100m title

BANGKOK: Shanti Pereira successfully retained her 100m crown at the 33rd SEA Games on Thursday (Dec 11).

At the Suphachalasai National Stadium in Bangkok, the Singaporean won gold in the final with a season's best time of 11.36s. She had earlier won her heat with a time of 11.46s.

Thailand's Jirapat Khanota clinched silver (11.54s), while Vietnam's Thi Thu Ha claimed bronze with a time of 11.58s.

Pereira won both the 100m and 200m at the last edition of the Games in 2023, becoming the first Singaporean woman to clinch a sprint double at the biennial event.

"It means so much," she told reporters after her race. "The SEA Games will always be special to me. No matter where I am in my life, getting to compete here is always a privilege."

Pereira added that she was extremely pleased with the time. "I've been chasing 11.3 the entire season, maybe even from last year. I'm just so happy," she added.

The Suphachalasai National Stadium holds fond memories for the sprinter. It is where she achieved a historic sprint double at the 2023 Asian Championships.

"I love this stadium, everything about it is great," Pereira said. "When I saw that it was here, I was pretty happy about it."

She won one gold (200m) and clinched a silver (100m) at the Asian Games later that year.

Since then, it has been an up-and-down two years for Pereira.

An injury in 2024 scuppered her preparations for the Paris Olympics, and Pereira’s times were some distance from her best.

Earlier this year, Pereira clinched two silvers at the Asian Championships in May. However, the 29-year-old missed out on a 200m semi-final spot at the World Championships in September.

"There's always ups and downs. That's why I always try to focus on gratitude and just being able to compete here