KUALA LUMPUR – After losing her pole at the Malaysia Games (Sukma) 2022 in September, defending SEA Games women's pole vault champion Nor Sarah Adi needs some two months to find a new one to compete in the 32nd SEA Games in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, next year.
She admitted that she needed enough time to find her rhythm with the new pole, describing her old pole as a “jewel” after helping her bring home a gold medal in the event after only being suddenly thrust to take up pole vaulting.
“I underwent rehab for six weeks right after Sukma because I suffered a left hamstring injury. So, now, it’s just the process of training and finding a new pole, which will take two months, maybe in January or February.
“The pole used to be with me for four months, then I was called upon to fill the slots to meet the pole vault quota (in the Sukma) and that pole was also the one that brought me the luck to win gold at the SEA Games," she said when contacted by Bernama today.
Sarah, who was previously active in the 4x100m event, informed that her pole was around 4.3m long, but aims to use a 4.45m pole in the next edition.
In May, Sarah pulled off a surprise by clinching the Hanoi SEA Games gold medal in the women’s pole vault, thus ending Malaysia’s 11-year gold drought after recording a personal best of 4.00m, beating the challenge of Thailand’s Chonticha Khabut who jumped 3.80m and Alyana Martinez of the Philippines (3.60m).
Not stopping there, the athlete from Pahang then helped the women’s 4x100m quartet to win the bronze medal together with S. Komalam Shally, Zaidatul Husniah Zulkifli and Azreen Nabila Alias.
In addition to next year’s SEA Games, she also hopes to compete in the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China scheduled for September 23 to October 8, 2023.
“I really want to defend the gold there (Cambodia) because before I came in only as a parachuted athlete, but this time I am ready.
“I already understand the flow of the competition, so I am confident that I can do my best. If possible, I would like to use a longer pole to ensure a more stylish jump.
“Actually, the advice and encouragement given by national athletics squad head coach, Mohd Manshahar Abdul Jalil, also helped me a lot in improving my jumping technique. I have full confidence in him as he has produced many international level athletes,” she said. – Bernama, November 17, 2022
