Singapore's Shanti Pereira finishes 31st in Olympics 200m round 1, has second chance to progress

PARIS: It has been a trying few days for Singapore’s sprint queen Shanti Pereira, but she will have a second chance at the 200m semi-finals at the Paris Olympics after missing out on automatic qualification on Sunday (Aug 4). 

At the Stade de France, Pereira finished last out of eight athletes in her heat with a time of 23.21s. Only the top three from each of the six heats move on. 

She finished 31st out of 45 competitors.

The Asian gold medallist’s personal best and national record stands at 22.57s, while her season’s best stands at 23.17s.

Pereira will get a second chance on Monday to qualify if she clocks one of the top times in the repechage round.

“I really just tried to give it my best today,” she told reporters. “Going in, I was focused, I was prepared and not much I can say. I really just gave it my all, and it wasn’t in my favour.”

The repechage round is part of a new format for certain events. It replaces the old system where athletes with the fastest remaining times go through.

There will be four repechage heats on Monday, with six slots up to grabs.

“It’s a second chance, I get to run again,” said Pereira. “I guess I have nothing to lose. (I will) go in with the same race plan, stay relaxed, stay focused, give it my all.”

The athlete who tops each heat qualifies for the semi-finals, as well as the next two with the fastest times across all four heats.

The United States' Gabby Thomas clocked 22.20s in the heats, showing she is the woman to beat with the quickest time in Sunday morning's preliminary round.

Fresh off her thrilling 100m victory the previous evening, St Lucia's Julien Alfred showed she is a threat in the 200m as well, easing up well before the finish line to cross in 22.41s, sixth fastest of the morning.

Earlier in the Games, Pereira failed to advance to the 100m semi-finals, finishing 55th out of 72 athletes overall. Her time of 11.63s saw her place 7th out of nine runners in her heat. Her national record stands at 11.20s.

Last year was a career-defining one for Pereira.

At the Hangzhou Asian Games, she won the women’s 200m final – Singapore’s first athletics gold medal since 1974. 

Days before that, Pereira ended Singapore’s nearly 50-year wait for a track and field medal at the Asian Games, after she won a silver in the 100m. 

Pereira notched a sprint double at the Asian Athletics Championships in July and also became the first Singaporean woman to win both the 100m and 200m events at the SEA Games in May.

But she suffered an injury setback earlier this year, where a stress injury in her fibula put paid to her Olympics preparation as well as plans to compete in the Diamond League and various meets.

“It’s just very unfortunate that it had to happen at that time … but the good thing was that it happened then and not nearer to the Olympics,” Pereira said.

“That’s why I can still be here talking to you guys, instead of not here at all. At least I got to give (it) my best shot.”