PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s Shereen Samson Vallabouy outpaced Singapore’s Veronica Shanti Pereira in a battle of regional sprint queens in the 400m at the Florida Relays in the US yesterday.
Shereen, last October’s Hangzhou Asian Games 400m bronze medallist, clocked 52.29s to take bronze.
Shanti, who won the 200m final at the Games, two days after her silver medal in the 100m, finished fifth in 53.67.
It was the first time they had faced each other in the individual one-lap race, as Shanti usually runs the anchor leg in the 4x400m for her national team.
Kyra Constantine (51.50) and Zoe Sherar (51.64), both representing Athletics Canada, won the gold and silver, respectively.
The Florida Relays is a top meet in collegiate track and field in the US, featuring professional athletes as well.
Shereen, 25, has been training in Florida since last June under American Derrick White, who is the head coach and CEO of Life Speed Athletics.
Shanti is in the US to prepare for the Paris Olympics in July. She has qualified for the 200m on merit and is seeking to make the cut for the 100m.
On the race yesterday, Shereen said: “I was ahead of her (Shanti) in the first 200m of the race, which tells me my speed is good.
“My goal is to run sub 23 in the 200m this year to help me gain a stronger execution in the first half of the 400m race.
““It was my 400m opener for the season, and I’m on the right track with three months of training.”
She said the race felt good in terms of progression and execution. “I have been feeling stronger and need to run 50.95 in order to qualify for the Paris Olympics.”
White said Shereen, who holds the national record of 51.80 in the event, had never dipped below 52 seconds in an outdoor season opener.
He said she ran her first competitive 400m last year in 53s and in 55s the previous year.
“To be training for three months and then run her fourth fastest career best in her opening race of the season is a great performance.
He said while Shereen was fast now and did well in certain parts of the race, “she struggled in some areas because we haven’t got to that part of training”.
White said Shereen, who is also the reigning SEA Games 400m gold medallist, will run in three more 400m races before July.
Meanwhile, sprinter Azeem Fahmi will compete in the 100m at the Tom Jones Invitational on April 12-13 in a bid to qualify for the Olympics.
Azeem, who is studying at Auburn University in Alabama, needs to run 10 seconds flat to qualify for the Games.
He holds the national record of 10.09, and last year, he clocked 10.11 to win the 100m bronze at the Asian Games. - FMT
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