Singapore sprint queen Shanti Pereira to compete in 100m at Paris Olympics

SINGAPORE: Singapore sprint queen Shanti Pereira will compete in the women’s 100m at the Paris Olympics, after she qualified by virtue of her world ranking.

Pereira, who will also be one of Singapore’s two flag bearers alongside sailor Ryan Lo, had previously qualified for the 200m by meeting the Olympic entry standard.

The Asian Games gold medalist is 42nd in the Race to Paris rankings in the 100m event, with the top 56 qualifying, according to a list from World Athletics (WA).

Qualification for the Games is based on a dual pathway, with athletes qualifying through entry standards as well as through world rankings.

The entry standard for the women’s 100m is 11.07s, while Pereira's national record stands at 11.20s.

Athletes can also compete at the Games by receiving a universality spot from WA. Singapore men’s sprinter Marc Brian Louis was accorded such a spot and will also represent Singapore at the Games, it was confirmed earlier this week.

Pereira has been based in Europe for the past few months as she ramped up training for Paris. 

She had suffered an injury setback earlier in the year, where a stress injury in her fibula had put paid to plans for compete in the Diamond League and various meets.

2023 was a career-defining year for Pereira.

At the Hangzhou Asian Games, she won the women’s 200m final. This was Singapore’s first athletics gold medal since 1974. Days before, Pereira 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. 

Pereira 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 SEA Games in May.

Last August, she became the first