Latest news with #ShantiPereira
Straits Times
28-06-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
BookTalk: National runner Shanti Pereira reads as part of her morning routine
Who: Shanti Pereira, 28, Singaporean track-and-field athlete who is a two-time Olympian, an Asian Games 200m champion, a two-time Asian Championship winner and a four-time SEA Games medallist. She is also the fastest South-east Asian woman in the 100m and 200m events. She competed in the Gumi Asian Athletics Championships 2025 in May, finishing second in the 100m and 200m events, and fifth in the women's 4x100m relay final. She is training for the World Athletics Championships in September. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
CNA
09-06-2025
- Sport
- CNA
No time to waste for Singapore's Shanti Pereira as she guns for World Championships qualification
SINGAPORE: Less than 48 hours after touching down in Singapore, Shanti Pereira was back at Changi Airport again. If every millisecond on the track is precious to the Singapore sprinter, time off it is no less valuable. Speaking to CNA from Germany, Pereira was gearing up for her next big task - to qualify for the World Championships in September. But first comes recovery from an "intense" week in May where she clinched two silver medals, registered a season's best and clocked a national record at the Asian Championships in South Korea. "It was a really good outing, really happy about it, and excited for what's to come,"the 28-year-old said. "This process can be pretty intense, and takes a lot out of you, but definitely enjoying the journey, enjoying everything about it." SETTING THE TONE Pereira went into the Asian Championships as defending champion in the 100m and 200m events. But much has passed since she clinched that historic sprint double in 2023. At the Hangzhou Asian Games later that year, she won the 200m - Singapore's first athletics gold medal at that level since 1974. Days before that, Pereira already ended Singapore's nearly 50-year wait for an Asiad track and field medal, with silver in the 100m. Then, a stress injury to her fibula in early 2024 resulted in her missing her debut in the elite Diamond League competition in China, as well as the chance to race in two major meets in Japan among other events. It also set her back on preparations for the Paris Olympics from July to August that year. In her second Games campaign, Pereira did not make it past the 100m and 200m heats. "(It was) probably one of the tougher years. Just because coming off of 2023 with such good momentum, and then suddenly like boom, injury," she said. "Gaining that confidence back was probably one of the tougher things I had to do." Preparations for this year's meet in South Korea helped her find her groove and enjoy the process again, said Pereira. "I was pretty excited going into the Asian Champs," she added. "A lot of times when defending champions come into the championships again, they might not be at the top. But I went in knowing that I was one of the top. "That was a big motivating factor for me. I was there able to fight and that was very exciting for me, especially coming off of last year." Pereira finished second in the 100m with a time of 11.41s, just behind China's Liang Xiaojing at 11.37s. "For the 100, I was really, really happy about it. Coming off the heats, I did get an SB (season's best ), but race execution wasn't my best, and so that was something I was really focusing on (for the final)," she said. "From what coach and I discussed, the final turned out really well and I came super close to the girl that came in first. It was a pretty great achievement for me, and really happy with that silver medal." In the 200m, Pereira missed out on defending her crown by a mere 0.01s behind China's Chen Yujie, who took gold with a time of 22.97s. "(It was) a bit more bittersweet because it was so close and it was really just down to the line," she said. "It was a really good race, but definitely things that I could work on ... I was a bit disappointed of course, I wish my medal colour was different. "But all in all it was a good champs ... A good way to set the tone for the rest of the season." The fact that there was disappointment at all is a reminder of her progress, Pereira pointed out. "Now, we are at a place where we're disappointed with a silver medal at an Asian-level meet; whereas very long ago, I was upset about getting bronze at SEA Games," she said. "It's really all about perspective and just looking at how far I've come. I was able to come into this champs as a contender, and I came out not winning gold, but I'm still one of the top (competitors). And that's something to be very proud about." Less than two hours after her 200m race, Pereira combined with Elizabeth-Ann Tan, Shannon Tan and Laavinia Jaiganth to break the national record in the women's 4x100m relay final. They finished fifth in 44.66s, eclipsing the 44.96s set by Pereira, Nur Izlyn Zaini, Wendy Enn and Dipna Lim-Prasad at the 2017 SEA Games. ALWAYS AIMING TO BE BETTER Pereira will now spend the next few months training and competing at European meets to clock points to qualify for the 2025 World Championships on merit, based on her world ranking. She achieved this feat at the last edition in 2023 and went on to qualify for the 200m semi-finals with a national record. That made her the first Singaporean to ever progress past the heats at the World Championships. Prior to 2023, Pereira competed in three previous world championships but as a wild card. As of Jun 7, she was comfortably within quota spots for the 200m, and occupying the final spot for the 100m. Being constantly on the go and away from home can take its toll, Pereira admitted, and there are "tough days" for sure. "But then I start competing, and I start travelling the world, and then you realise - it's a privilege to be able to do this," she said. "I'm really grateful for this - the fact that I'm living this life and it's a dream life." But that doesn't mean resting on her laurels. "You always just try to be better, try to do better as you keep going into new seasons," she said.
Independent Singapore
03-06-2025
- General
- Independent Singapore
Singapore's women's 4×100-m relay team breaks national record at Asian Championships
SOUTH KOREA: As the baton crossed the finish line at the Gumi Sports Complex, the Singapore women's 4×100-m relay team looked up at the scoreboard. The time read 44.66 seconds, a new national record. It wasn't enough for a medal at the Asian Athletics Championships, but it was enough to rewrite history. The team of Shannon Tan, Elizabeth-Ann Tan, Shanti Pereira, and Laavinia Jaiganth finished fifth overall, behind Asia's sprint powerhouses, but in the context of Singapore athletics, it marked a major breakthrough. The previous record of 44.96 seconds, set at the 2017 SEA Games, had stood for nearly eight years. That timing had only just been matched a month earlier at the Singapore Open, on home soil and with a different lead-off runner. This time, the first athlete out of the blocks was Shannon Tan, a Secondary 4 student from Cedar Girls' School. Making her debut for the national team at just 16, she became the youngest sprinter in recent memory to front a senior relay squad at a continental meet. She passed the baton cleanly to Elizabeth-Ann Tan, one of Singapore's two fastest female sprinters. Shanti Pereira, the other, ran the curve on the third leg. Having just returned from overseas competitions, she delivered one of the race's strongest splits, powering through the second bend to position the team well going into the final changeover. Laavinia Jaiganth, the national U20 400-m record holder, anchored the team. She held her ground in a stacked field to bring Singapore home in record time. Also travelling with the relay squad were Kerstin Ong and Sarah Poh, who had been part of the pool preparing for the event. Behind the scenes, the effort was supported by relay coaches Hamkah Afik, Khairyll Amri, Melvin Tan, and Remy Gan. Their respective personal coaches also train each of the four runners: Margaret Oh (Shannon), Hamkah and Khairyll (Elizabeth-Ann), Luis Cunha (Shanti), and Fabian William (Laavinia). The new national time of 44.66 s would have won medals at 30 out of 31 SEA Games editions where the women's 4×100 m relay was contested. Still, more than just the numbers, the race reflected a shift: the blend of experience and emerging talent, and a baton literally and figuratively being passed from one generation to the next. As the athletes left the track in Gumi, the message was clear — the standard has been raised.
The Star
31-05-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Singapore's Shanti Pereira pipped to 200m gold by Chinese ace at Asian athletic meet
Singapore's Shanti Pereira (centre) en route to winning a silver in the 200m event at the Asian Athletics Championships.-- PHOTO: SINGAPORE ATHLETICS SINGAPORE (The Straits Times/ANN): Singapore's sprint queen Shanti Pereira clinched silver in the women's 200m at the Asian Athletics Championships on May 31. At the Gumi Civic Stadium in South Korea, the 28-year-old clocked a season-best time of 22.98sec, just 0.01sec behind gold medallist Chen Yujie (22.97) and ahead of Li Yuting (23.23) both of China. Defending champion Pereira had qualified second quickest in the field of 20 after clocking 23.59sec. Japan's Remi Tsuruta topped the heats with 23.37sec, while China's Chen (23.60) was third. Pereira, who won a 100m and 200m double in the 2023 edition in Thailand, had also settled for silver in the 100m final on May 28 after clocking 11.41sec, losing out to China's Liang Xiaojing by just 0.04sec. Besides the two creditable silver medals, Pereira ended her campaign in Gumi with a national record, after teaming up with Elizabeth-Ann Tan, Shannon Tan and Laavinia Jaiganth to set a new mark of 44.66sec in the women's 4x100m relay. The Singaporeans, who finished fifth out of seven teams, surpassed the previous time of 44.96sec set in 2017 by Pereira, Dipna Lim, Wendy Enn and Nur Izlyn Zaini. China won the race with a 43.28sec effort, ahead of India (43.86sec) and Thailand (44.26sec). Singapore Athletics (SA) president Lien Choong Luen praised Pereira for her performances. He said: 'Shanti's back-to-back silver medals over 100m and 200m in Korea is an incredible feat in field packed with lots of talent. 'While her performance at the 2023 edition saw different medal colours, the ability to stay consistent over multiple years is a testament to her determination and that of coach Luis (Cunha) and her team. 'Her longevity and performance is an inspiration for our young athletes.' In other results, Singapore's 400m hurdler Calvin Quek clocked 50.94sec to finish last in the field of seven runners. The event was won by Qatar's Abderrahman Samba (48.00sec), with Chinese Taipei's Lin Chung-wei (49.73) and Japan's Shunta Inoue (50.02) finishing in the minor podium spots. Meanwhile, in the men's 4x100m relay, despite a promising start, Singaporeans Daryl Tan, Yan Teo, Xander Ho and Marc Louis finished last out of seven teams in a time of 40.96sec. Hosts South Korea claimed the gold with a meet record of 38.49sec, ahead of Thailand (38.78sec) and China (38.82sec). - The Straits Times/ANN
Online Citizen
31-05-2025
- Sport
- Online Citizen
Shanti Pereira wins silver and narrowly misses 200m gold at Asian Championships in Gumi
Singapore sprinter Shanti Pereira came agonisingly close to defending her 200m crown at the Asian Athletics Championships, missing out by a mere 0.01 seconds in a thrilling final on 31 May in Gumi, South Korea. Pereira clocked a time of 22.98 seconds, just behind China's Chen Yujie, who clinched gold in 22.97 seconds. China's Li Yuting claimed the bronze with a time of 23.23 seconds. This marked Pereira's second silver medal of the championships, having also finished runner-up in the women's 100m final earlier in the week. In that event, she recorded a time of 11.41 seconds, narrowly behind China's Liang Xiaojing who clocked 11.37 seconds. Vietnam's Tran Thi Nhi Yen completed the podium in 11.54 seconds. Pereira had qualified for the 200m final by finishing second overall in the heats on 30 May. Her performance maintained her presence among Asia's elite sprinters despite a challenging year. The 2025 season has been one of both promise and setbacks for Pereira. She entered the championships looking to replicate her exceptional form from 2023, when she achieved a historic sprint double. At the 2023 edition of the Asian Athletics Championships in Bangkok, Pereira won gold in both the 100m and 200m events. In the 100m, she set a new Singapore national record with a time of 11.20 seconds. She followed that by dominating the 200m field, clocking 22.70 seconds — a meet record that remains unbroken. That same year, she went on to win gold in the 200m and silver in the 100m at the Hangzhou Asian Games, solidifying her position as one of Asia's premier sprinters. However, 2024 posed unexpected challenges for Pereira. After an intensive training stint in Florida early in the year, she suffered a stress injury in her fibula. The injury forced her to withdraw from high-profile competitions including her planned Diamond League debut in Xiamen and Shanghai, as well as two major meets in Japan. These disruptions impacted her Olympic preparation. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Pereira competed in both the 100m and 200m but did not advance past the heats. In the 100m, she finished 55th overall with a time of 11.63 seconds. In the 200m, she managed 23.21 seconds in the initial heats and 23.45 seconds in the repechage round. Despite these difficulties, Pereira's performance in Gumi signals a resilient return to form. Her times in both the 100m and 200m finals suggest she remains competitive among the region's best, even as she continues her comeback from injury. Pereira still holds the Singapore national records in both sprint events — 11.20 seconds in the 100m and 22.57 seconds in the 200m — a testament to her elite calibre. As the 2025 season progresses, all eyes will be on how Pereira builds from this performance, with attention likely turning toward future continental meets and potential Diamond League entries, health permitting.
