Singapore runner meets Olympic standard 200m
On the group run of the three qualifiers on April 23, Pereira finished second, just behind Shericka Jackson - the Jamaican world champion with 22 seconds 51.
Pereira's performance was just enough to meet the 2024 Olympic standard - 22 seconds 57, making her the first Singaporean athlete to do this, and win tickets to the semi-finals of a world championship.
"Trying to reach the semi-finals of the 200m, reaching Olympic standards are the goals that I and the coach have set. I am happy that I have achieved. I am really excited before the race and very happy to compete at an athletics field. the size of the Budapest stadium today. I am satisfied when I performed my part according to the plan, "Pereira said.
Before that, the 26-year-old's personal best in the 200m distance was 22 seconds 69, isolated at the 32nd SEA Games in Cambodia in May. This was also the Singapore national record before being broken by Pereira himself.
Pereira's achievement ranked 12th out of 44 athletes participating in the women's 200m qualifying round on August 23. US athlete Sha'Carri Richardson, who won the 100m race on Monday, had a best of 22 seconds 16, slightly ahead of compatriot Gabrielle Thomas (22 seconds 26).
At the semi-finals, there were three (Heat) runs. Pereira will compete in Heat 3, lane 9, next to two superstars Richardson (lane 8) and defending champion Shericka Jackson (lane 7), at 1:03 on August 25, Hanoi time. The women's 200m world record is currently 21 seconds 34 set by American athlete Florence Griffith-Joyner in Seoul, Korea in 1988. This content record in the world championship is 21 seconds 45 set by Shericka Jackson at Eugene last year. The best 200m running record since the beginning of 2023 is currently 21 seconds 60 belongs to American athlete Gabrielle Thomas established on July 9 in Eugene.
Pereira is showing improvement from tournament to tournament. In July, she made history when she won both the 100m and 200m short distances at the Asian Championships, held in Bangkok, Thailand. Two months earlier, she also won a double gold medal at the 32nd SEA Games with the same content in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Since March, Pereira has broken the national record she had previously set six times in a row. The Singaporean runner will be the champion candidate at the Asiad held in Hangzhou (China) from September 23 to October 8.
