HANGZHOU – National track queen Shereen Samson Vallabouy ended Malaysia's 17-year medal drought in Asian Games athletics when she gallantly hung in there to clinch bronze in the 400-metre (m) final tonight.
The 25-year-old may have been no match for the two Bahraini runners who made it a 1-2 finish, but Shereen deserves credit for running a lung-busting final 200m to cross the finish line third in 52.58 seconds (s) – a little slower than her national mark of 51.80s - at the Hangzhou Olympic Stadium.
Bahrain's Adekoya Oluwakemi Mujidat clocked 50.66s to take gold while compatriot Salwa Eid Naser (50.92s) settled for silver.
The US-based Shereen had advanced to the final after winning Heat 3 in the first round in 52.89s.
Malaysia last won a medal at the Asiad in the 2006 edition in Doha, Qatar through woman pole vaulter Roslinda Samsu (silver) and woman 400m hurdler Noraseela Mohd Khalid (bronze).
Datuk Rabuan Pit was the last Malaysian athletics gold medallist in the Asian Games when he won the men's 100m final in the 1982 edition in New Delhi, India. – Bernama, September 30, 2023
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