Singapore's Shanti Pereira makes history at Glasgow Commonwealth Games, qualifies for 200m final
Pereira clocked a season-best time of 22.81s.
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SINGAPORE: Shanti Pereira became the first Singaporean to qualify for an individual sprint final at the Commonwealth Games on Thursday (Jul 30).
At the Scotstoun Stadium in Glasgow, Pereira set a season-best of 22.81s to finish third in her semi-final race and eighth overall. The top two qualifiers from each of the three semi-finals automatically qualify for the final, along with the next two fastest athletes.
"After I coming out of (the previous) two races, I knew I had so much more in me and I knew I could put up a performance today," she said. "(To finish) under 23s, I'm so happy. It's been such a long time coming."
Adaejah Hodge of the British Virgin Islands was the fastest qualifier across the semi-finals, advancing with a Games record time of 22:01s.
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The 200m final is slated to be held on Saturday morning Singapore time.
"It's another race, it's another opportunity, it's another chance to run in this stadium which (has) a really good track and really good atmosphere," said Pereira.
"I'm just excited, I can't wait."
Pereira's national record in the 200m is 22.57s, set at the World Championships in 2023. She is the reigning Asian Games champion in the event.
On Wednesday, she had clocked 23.00s - her then-fastest time of the season - to make the semi-finals.
Pereira also qualified for the 100m semi-finals at the Glasgow Games with a time of 11.24s, her fastest of the season in that event. She was just 0.04 seconds off her national mark of 11.20s, set at the 2023 Asian Athletics Championships.
At the last Commonwealth Games in 2022, Pereira lowered both the national 100m and 200m marks and qualified for the semi-finals of both events.
She was the first Singaporean woman to clinch a sprint double at the 2023 edition of the SEA Games.
More recently, Pereira won the 100m crown at the biennial meet in Thailand in 11.36s, before going on to win the 200m a few days later for her second straight sprint double at the regional competition.
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