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Paul McNamara

Leading Asian sprinter Shanti Pereira said her Olympic Games disappointment would not “define who I am and what I am capable of”.
Singaporean Pereira ran 23.45 seconds, a long way off her personal best of 22.57, to finish last in her 200 metres repechage race on Monday.
The 27-year-old, who was eliminated in round one of the 100m last week, said a fibula injury sustained in April left her needing to “bounce back from the bottom” to compete in Paris.
Pereira vowed she would fight on until the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, and called for a more condensed Asian racing calendar to help the continent’s sprinters catch up with their counterparts from around the world.
The Asian Games 200m champion, Pereira was the first athlete from Singapore to qualify for the Olympic 200m by right.

“It meant a lot [to earn qualification], which was why I was pushing for a better result,” Pereira told the Post.
“I felt like I put Singapore on the map. People maybe didn’t know much about Singapore, or even where it is, but I hope they have taken notice. It is a huge honour to do that for my city.
“But I am really sad about my race. This was not what I wanted to do in Paris … not just today, but my 200m heat [where she was last on Sunday] and the 100m. I wish it was better, but … I have to move forwards.”
Pereira ran her career-best 22.57, which was bang on the Olympic qualifying standard, to reach the semi-finals of last year’s world championships in Budapest. She subsequently claimed 200m gold and 100m silver at the Hangzhou Asian Games.
Pereira’s Paris preparations were rocked, however, when she began experiencing pain in her right calf during a Florida training camp this year. She was eventually diagnosed with a stress injury in her fibula, which left her scrambling to get ready for Paris
“Physically, I had to let the injury heal, I couldn’t have any impact on the ground for six-to-eight weeks, which set me back,” said Pereira, who went to the Tokyo Olympics, where she was sixth in her 200m heat, on a universality invite.
“Mentally, after such a good year [2023], to have that momentum broken [was hard] … I had to bounce back from being at the bottom and try to recover the same mindset and fitness levels I had last year.
“It was a process I had to go through in a short period of time and it took a lot. This race will not define who I am and what I’m capable of. I am pain free now, I need more time, training and competition, then I will be back.”
It is a big thing, heading into major Games every year
Shanti Pereira
Pereira said she “knows” she’s the same athlete who performed so strongly 12 months ago, and revealed LA in four years is “my goal”.
It was reflective of Asia’s ongoing sprinting woes that none of the 48 women’s 100m and 200m semi-finalists came from the continent. Only two of the 24 men’s 100m semi-finalists, Puripol Boonson of Thailand, and Japan’s Abdul Hakim Sani Brown, whose father is Ghanaian, were Asian.
Pereira said it was possible for Asia to make up ground on global rivals, but only if various changes were implemented.
“The first thing is, we have competitions throughout the year, it is not a summer timetable like in other parts of the world,” Pereira said.
“That plays an important role, because [if the schedule is more concentrated], you know when you have to be in top form, and don’t spend the whole year in season. It is a big thing, heading into major Games every year.”


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Paris 2024 Olympic Games

Shanti Pereira honoured to ‘put Singapore on map’, but ‘sad’ after Olympics blow

Shanti Pereira (left), Olivia Fotopoulou of Cyprus, and Boglarka Takacs of Hungary in action during Heat 5 of the women’s 200m. Photo: Reuters

Shanti Pereira (right) struggled to match the pace of her rivals in the Stade de France. Photo: Reuters

Paris Olympics day 10: Duplantis world record and China athletics silver – as it happened

Mondo Duplantis of Sweden clears the bar at 6.25m to set a new world record in the men’s pole vault. Photo: EPA-EFE

Olympic Games are off and running, but rivals claim China success ‘not humanly possible’

Pan Zhanle of China celebrates after the men’s 100m freestyle final. Photo: Xinhua

Hong Kong’s Cheung Ka Long celebrates after winning against Italy’s Filippo Macchi in the men’s foil individual gold medal bout. Photo: AFP

Photo: AP

Photo: AFP

Photo: Instagram/kasumi.ishikawa_official

Photo: Reuters

Photo: Instagram

Paris Olympics: Ceci Lee inspired by Vivian Kong’s Hong Kong spirit in ‘hardest’ road race

Ceci Lee Sze-wing was proud of her achievements in finishing her road race at the Paris Olympics. Photo: Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China

Ceci Lee spent four hours, 10 minutes and 47 seconds on her bike during a gruelling road race. Photo: Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China

United States’ Kristen Faulkner claimed goal during the women’s road race at the Paris Olympics. Photo: Reuters

Paris Olympics: diving, climbing, US women in 3x3 basketball – 5 things to know for day 10

A twist of fate allowed He Bingjiao to reach the badminton women’s singles final – but can she claim the gold? Photo: Xinhua

Quan Hongchan and Chen Yuxi are back at it as they look to secure more diving gold at the Paris Olympics. Photo: AP

United States’ women are still in the mix in 3x3 basketball. Photo: AFP

Spain overcame Japan in the quarter-finals and are now looking to beat Morocco to reach the final. Photo: Reuters

Sport

Paris Olympics 2024

Asia

Athletics

Singapore sprint star adamant she will not be defined by struggles in French capital, sets Los Angeles goal


Singapore sprint star adamant she will not be defined by struggles in French capital, sets Los Angeles goal.
