Singapore sprint star Shanti Pereira added another milestone to her decorated career by securing her second silver medal at the 2024 Asian Athletics Championships on May 31, becoming the first sprinter in the meet’s history to win two individual sprint medals in back-to-back editions.
Although she was unable to retain her 100m and 200m titles from 2023, Pereira’s coach Luis Cunha praised her achievements as “groundbreaking,” calling it a major moment for Singaporean athletics.
“Earning two individual sprint medals at the Asian Championships is unprecedented for Singapore,” said Cunha. “This is a truly remarkable milestone for Singapore sports.”
At the Gumi Civic Stadium in South Korea, the 28-year-old clocked a season-best 22.98 seconds in the 200m final—just 0.01 seconds behind China’s Chen Yujie (22.97), with Li Yuting (23.23) taking bronze.
Earlier in the championships, Pereira had already captured silver in the 100m, clocking 11.41 seconds and narrowly losing out to China’s Liang Xiaojing by 0.04 seconds.
Though Pereira did not speak publicly after her races, Cunha urged observers to see the bigger picture. “Life is all about perspective,” he said. “Some may focus on missing gold, but others see a national icon making history.”
Singapore Athletics president Lien Choong Luen echoed those sentiments. “Shanti’s back-to-back silver medals in a field filled with elite talent are an incredible feat,” he said. “Consistency over multiple years is rare. Her performance and longevity are a huge inspiration.”
Pereira’s accomplishments didn’t end with individual medals. She also helped the women’s 4x100m relay team—alongside Elizabeth-Ann Tan, Shannon Tan, and Laavinia Jaiganth—set a new national record of 44.66 seconds, finishing fifth among seven teams. The previous national mark of 44.96 seconds had stood since 2017 and was only recently equalled in April.
Relay teammate Elizabeth-Ann Tan said: “Breaking the national record by 0.3 seconds was the goal. We’ve worked hard and we’re thrilled the effort paid off.”
Jaiganth added that the performance bodes well for the upcoming SEA Games in December. “This was a valuable experience. We managed to stay composed and perform well. Being ranked second among SEA nations is a big motivation.”
SA relay coach Khairyll Amri noted the rising competition. “We had hoped to close in on Thailand, but they stepped up with a 44.26 run. That’s how competitive this level is. On a different day, things could have gone differently.”
In other events, Singapore’s 400m hurdler Calvin Quek clocked 50.94 seconds to finish last among seven, while Qatar’s Abderrahman Samba won gold in 48.00 seconds.
Meanwhile, the Singapore men’s 4x100m relay team—Daryl Tan, Teo Yan, Xander Ho, and Marc Louis—were disqualified due to a baton exchange error after clocking 40.96 seconds. Host nation South Korea won gold with a meet record of 38.49 seconds.
Despite the setbacks, Singapore’s performances at the championships—particularly Pereira’s historic double silver and the new women’s relay record—mark a significant chapter in the nation’s athletics journey.
