Singapore sprinter Shanti Pereira came agonisingly close to defending her 200m crown at the Asian Athletics Championships, missing out by a mere 0.01 seconds in a thrilling final on 31 May in Gumi, South Korea.
Pereira clocked a time of 22.98 seconds, just behind China’s Chen Yujie, who clinched gold in 22.97 seconds. China’s Li Yuting claimed the bronze with a time of 23.23 seconds.
This marked Pereira’s second silver medal of the championships, having also finished runner-up in the women’s 100m final earlier in the week. In that event, she recorded a time of 11.41 seconds, narrowly behind China’s Liang Xiaojing who clocked 11.37 seconds. Vietnam’s Tran Thi Nhi Yen completed the podium in 11.54 seconds.
Pereira had qualified for the 200m final by finishing second overall in the heats on 30 May. Her performance maintained her presence among Asia’s elite sprinters despite a challenging year.
The 2025 season has been one of both promise and setbacks for Pereira. She entered the championships looking to replicate her exceptional form from 2023, when she achieved a historic sprint double.
At the 2023 edition of the Asian Athletics Championships in Bangkok, Pereira won gold in both the 100m and 200m events. In the 100m, she set a new Singapore national record with a time of 11.20 seconds. She followed that by dominating the 200m field, clocking 22.70 seconds — a meet record that remains unbroken.
That same year, she went on to win gold in the 200m and silver in the 100m at the Hangzhou Asian Games, solidifying her position as one of Asia’s premier sprinters.
However, 2024 posed unexpected challenges for Pereira. After an intensive training stint in Florida early in the year, she suffered a stress injury in her fibula. The injury forced her to withdraw from high-profile competitions including her planned Diamond League debut in Xiamen and Shanghai, as well as two major meets in Japan.
These disruptions impacted her Olympic preparation. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Pereira competed in both the 100m and 200m but did not advance past the heats.
In the 100m, she finished 55th overall with a time of 11.63 seconds. In the 200m, she managed 23.21 seconds in the initial heats and 23.45 seconds in the repechage round.
Despite these difficulties, Pereira’s performance in Gumi signals a resilient return to form. Her times in both the 100m and 200m finals suggest she remains competitive among the region’s best, even as she continues her comeback from injury.
Pereira still holds the Singapore national records in both sprint events — 11.20 seconds in the 100m and 22.57 seconds in the 200m — a testament to her elite calibre.
As the 2025 season progresses, all eyes will be on how Pereira builds from this performance, with attention likely turning toward future continental meets and potential Diamond League entries, health permitting.
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