The mixed 4x100m relay of Shanti Pereira, Marc Brian Louis, Elizabeth-Ann Tan and Tate Tan set a national record at the Asian Games on 29 Sep. Photo: SpexSG/Jeremy Lee
The athletics contingent closed out their Asian Games campaign on a high, with the mixed 4x100m relay team setting a national record in their final event of the Games.
Tate Tan, Elizabeth-Ann Tan, Marc Brian Louis and Shanti Pereira clocked 41.19sec en route to a fourth-placed finish at the Paloma Mizuho Stadium on 29 Sep.
The previous national record of 41.66s was set by Tate, Elizabeth-Ann, Mark Lee and Pereira during the heats on 28 Sep.
Louis, who withdrew from the 200m and men’s 4x100m relay due to a hamstring strain, was pleased to have recovered in time to run the mixed team final.
“We were having so much fun out there. It’s my first time running with them together and I think we all did a good job – fourth and a new national record, and being able to run with the fastest woman in Asia,” said Louis, referring to Pereira’s gold-winning feat in the 200m at these Games.
Pereira, who also won the 100m silver here, enjoyed the team element of the relay, noting that the experience each athlete had contributed to their performance.
“Being part of the relay is always just a very rewarding experience and this is the only team element we have, so I think we really treasure it a lot,” added the 30-year-old.
“It’s a whole different experience … you kind of have to adjust how we take off and everything. We honestly didn’t get much practice, but I think it was a lot of trust because we’re also experienced in our own male and female relays. It was just based on that – just so much trust. The national record is just crazy, we totally smashed the national record.”
With Singapore’s last event of the athletics competition concluded, the team returns from Japan with two medals – Pereira’s gold in the women’s 200m and silver in the women’s 100m.
The athletes’ experience at these Games has stoked their desire to be more competitive at a higher level.
The men’s and women’s 4x100m relay teams are buoyed by their performances, having ran season-best times in their respective heats at the Paloma Mizuho Stadium. The women’s team posted 45.12s, while their male counterparts clocked 39.34s. The men also reached the 4x100m relay final, finishing eighth in 39.88s.
Debutant Amanda Loo, who featured in the women’s relay, said: “I’m very grateful to be competing with Asia’s best and alongside legendary teammates. I definitely had a lot of nerves, but the Commonwealth Games prepared me for this as well so I’m feeling pretty good this time and I’m glad we managed to hit a season best.”
Fellow Asiad first-timer Ian Gan, who ran the men’s relay leadoff, said: “This year has been full of ups and downs for me and to end it off with a season best and a pretty close time to the national record (39.24s) feels really good. It’s also bittersweet because I wish the season was a little bit longer so that we can continue this momentum that we build, but I really can’t ask for more. The experience has been really great.”
In the individual events, Pereira’s triumph in the 200m final made her the first woman to win back-to-back Asian Games titles in the event. Other highlights include Vanessa Lee’s national record of 36:00.95 in the women’s 10,000m, and teammate Nicole Low running a personal best of 36:48.31 in the same event.
Athletes who had hoped for better showings are determined to put up improved performances in future.
High jumper Kampton Kam, who had been carrying a slew of injuries including a sprained ankle during a pre-Games training camp, is unwavering in his resolve to qualify for the 2028 Olympic Games.
He cleared 2.10m to finish eighth in the high jump final, and said of having to battle injury while competing: “It messes with you, definitely, because this is once every four years. So you're trying to peak for this, you're trying to win a medal, and the timing could not be better, right? But for me, it's about just doing your best on the day, and whatever happens, happens. As long as you gave your 100 per cent, you can look yourself in the mirror and say that's all I gave. You should be proud of yourself for doing it.”
The 25-year-old has his sights set on next season, where he is eyeing participation at the Asian Championships and the Singapore Open.
Compatriot Thiruben Thana Rajan is also looking ahead to next season, where he is gunning for a podium finish at the SEA Games. The 26-year-old, who started training full-time this year, clocked 1:55.76 in the 800m heats to finish 19th overall. While disappointed that the time was off his national record of 1:49.94, he believes the experience will benefit him in the long run.
“Sometimes you compete and the results aren’t there, but it doesn’t mean it’s a wasteful outing. These Asian Games are going to make me a lot stronger for next year. It’s just part of sport,” he said.
“(The goal is) definitely to be on the podium for the SEA Games (and) to get my timing down a lot more. I want to be training in new environments and probably training with people who are faster than me, which I haven't done in a long time. I think I just need to step out of my comfort zone and change some things in my environment to take me there.”
For hurdler Ang Chen Xiang, who finished seventh in 13.90s in the final of the men’s 110m hurdles, his race was a “bittersweet” experience. The 32-year-old, who holds the 13.77s national record, said: “I wasn’t too happy with my performance because the technical execution wasn’t the cleanest; I hit quite a few hurdles and was slightly distracted by the athlete who fell next to me at the start. But that’s how the hurdles are, and I really tried to lock back in and focus on my own lane, which is what I did.
“It’s bittersweet – in terms of the sweet, making another Asian Games final is a dream for me. There’s always room for improvement. There’s always more, but I have also learnt to sometimes take a step back and appreciate how far I’ve come. I took a moment after the run to just savour the experience, be present in the moment and soak it all in.”
Singapore team manager Bastian Dohling noted that Pereira’s achievements in Japan were a “standout performance”, adding that other national athletes had the potential to also perform at this stage. The 23-strong athletics contingent marks Singapore’s largest at the Asian Games – exceeding the 20 who competed in athletics at the Hangzhou 2022 Games.
Dohling added: “For us, this is one of the biggest stages in athletics – we are not just competing against the best in Southeast Asia, but the best in Asia and Asia is huge. We're proud to be here and happy to be here and see these performances. We hope to keep that up and build on that, and have many athletes who've been here this time coming back and next time competing for a podium (place).”
The 20th Asian Games are held in Japan from 19 September to 4 October 2026. For the latest Team Singapore coverage and news, follow Team Singapore on their social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok) or visit the official Team Singapore website.