Asian Games 2023 athletics: Singapore's Veronica Shanti Pereira crowned women's 200m champion, country's first track gold since 1974
The women's 100m silver medallist claims the 200m crown, becoming Singapore's first athletics champion at the Asian Games in 49 years.
Athletics
Shanti Pereira ended Singapore's 49-year wait for an Asian Games gold medal in athletics by winning the women's 200m final at the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou on Monday (2 October), two days after her silver medal in the 100m.
The country had not won a medal of any colour since Chee Swee Lee doubled up at Tehran 1974 with gold in the women's 400m and bronze in the 4x100m relay, but Pereira's silver on Saturday ended the barren medal streak. Now, she has also put Singapore back on top of the podium, just the third time Singapore has had an Asian Games champion in track and field.
The favourite and fastest qualifier led from the start after arguably her biggest challenge, the 2019 400m world champion Salwa Eid Naser of Bahrain, had been disqualified for a false start. Shanti came around the bend with only a small lead, but pulled away on the straight to win in 23.03 into a slight headwind.
There was joy for the home crowd as Li Yuting crossed in second place, finishing in 23.28 for silver; Naser's teammate and defending champion Edidiong Odiong won bronze.
Shanti Pereira is Singapore's first women's sprint champion at the Asian Games. Her triumph marks the end of a successful 2023 season for the sprinter, who lowered her 100m national record six times in addition to winning double sprint gold at the SEA Games and Asian Championships.
"I knew I crossed the line first, and I was like 'oh my God'. What a season, what a season.
"I just saw the finish line, I knew I won. It’s been so crazy. It means a lot to me. I can’t really describe this. It’s been incredible. Before the race I said I’m going to give it everything I've got, because it’s my last race of the season – I’m going to make it count."