KUALA LUMPUR – There is no stopping rising runner Shereen Samson Vallabouy as she smashes her own personal record in the 400m outdoor event.
At the 2022 Bryan Clay Invitational in Azusa, California, Shereen won the women’s 400m outdoor dash event with an astonishing time of 53.37s, with the second-place runner coming in at 53.68s.
Shereen broke her previous personal time of 55.64s for the event set in May 2021 in Duluth, Minnesota.
Her current time also sees her becoming her school Winona State University’s record holder for the women’s 400m event.
Previously, Shereen, who is the product of the Perak State Sports Council, made headlines after she broke the national 400m indoor event, setting a new time of 53.79 at the US National Collegiate Athletics Association Division II Indoor Track and Field Championships at Pittsburg State University in Kansas, USA.
The staggering time broke the 16-year-long record held by former national sprinter and hurdles runner Noraseela Mohd Khalid of 54.58s, to which Noraseela commended the feat by saying, “Records are there to be broken.”
Speaking for Perak state athletics, its President Datuk Karim Ibrahim applauded Shereen’s continuous efforts.
“We are very proud of her tremendous improvements as she is now making waves in the outdoor events as well.
“With a few more runs I am sure she can reach well below 53s, and I think that can happen within this year,” he said.
He also believes that this serves as good preparation for the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and World Championships that will be taking place in Oregon, USA.
“If she can do good times and be better than other athletes in the country, then there is no reason for the Malaysian Athletics Federation (MAF) to not send her for international competitions.
“I also believe that if everything goes well, Shereen has a high probability to represent the country at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“If it happens, Shereen will be following in her mother, Josephine Mary’s footsteps when she took part in the women’s 400m event at the 1988 Seoul Olympics,” he said.
Shereen is the youngest daughter of former national athletes Samson Vallabouy and Josephine Mary.
Josephine said both the Malaysian Athletics Federation (MAF) and the National Sports Council (NSC) have reached out to her and have kept track of Shereen’s progress overseas.
Karim also added that there is a high chance Shereen will break her mother’s time of 52.65s.
Currently, the outdoor 400m national record of 52.56s is held by Rabia Abdul Salam, with Josephine’s time standing at second fastest.
“I believe it can happen, she can definitely do it.
“We will look into her welfare and make sure she is taken care of here in Malaysia, but for now we do not want to disturb her current progress in the US as she has great coaches and a good support system,” he added.
Shereen previously won bronze at the 2015 SEA Games in both the 400m and 4x400m and once again in the latter category for the 2017 edition.
She is currently in her senior year studying recreation and tourism on an athletics scholarship at Winona State University in Minnesota. – The Vibes, April 16, 2022.
