SEA Games: Shereen, Umar sprint to golden glory

PHNOM PENH – It was a Terrific Tuesday for Malaysian athletics when national 400m runners – Shereen Samson Vallabouy and Umar Osman – delivered two gold medals at the 2023 SEA Games, here, today. 

While most of the attention was on Shereen, who lived up to expectations by winning the women’s 400m gold medal, the 20-year-old Umar sprang a pleasant surprise by delivering an unexpected golden glitter in the men’s event on the second day of the athletics competition at the Morodok Techo National Stadium. 

What makes Umar’s golden feat even more remarkable is that he marked his SEA Games debut by clocking 46.34s to erase the almost 22-year-old previous national mark of 46.41s set by Mohd Zaiful Zainal Abidin at the Asian Junior Championships in Brunei in July 2001. 

Umar, who hails from Kluang, Johor, looked to be trailing in the early stages of the race before stepping on the accelerator in the final 70m to cross the finish line ahead of Filipinos Umajesty Wesley Lachicha Williams (46.52s) and Frederick Cabatu Ramirez (46.63s). 

Another national runner, Abdul Wafiy Roslan, could only finish seventh out of eight runners in 49.17s. 

Meanwhile, Shereen clinched her first gold medal in her pet event at the SEA Games by clocking 52.53s to end the reign of Vietnam’s Nguyen Thi Huyen, who had won the event four consecutive times. 

Nguyen Thi Huyen (53.27s) and compatriot Nguyen Thi Hang (53.84s) had to settle for silver and bronze respectively. 

However, US-based Shereen failed to beat her national record of 51.80s which she clocked at the 63rd Mt SAC Relays Annual Athletics Championships in California last month. 

Umar’s achievement saw him end Malaysia’s 14-year gold medal drought at the biennial Games after Zafril Zuslaini's victory in the 2009 edition in Vientiane, Laos. 

Shereen, meanwhile, ended an even longer wait by ensuring Malaysia returned to the top of the podium in the women’s 400m event at the SEA Games after N. Manimagalay last triumphed for the country in the 1999 edition in Brunei. – Bernama, May 8, 2023