Singapore’s sprint queen Shanti Pereira suffers injury before 2024 Paris Olympics

SINGAPORE: Shanti Pereira, Singapore’s sprint queen, encountered an injury setback several months before the Paris Olympics.

Singapore Athletics (SA) affirmed the unfortunate injury in a statement posted on its website on Monday (15 April).

“Shanti has been ruled out of action with a leg injury ahead of the 84th Singapore Open Track & Field Championships as well as the Diamond League competition in Xiamen and Shanghai,” the statement said.

Her coach, Luis Cunha, described the injury as a “common sports injury” and stated that her competition plans would be adjusted to prioritize recovery.

Initially set to compete at the Singapore Open Track and Field Championships on 18-19 April upon returning from training in Florida, Pereira was expected to primarily base herself in Europe to prepare for the Paris Games in August, as per Singapore Athletics’ Instagram post in March.

Singapore Athletics assured they would collaborate with Pereira, her coach, and the Singapore Sport Institute (SSI) to ensure she receives necessary support for her recovery, also mentioning plans to reorganize her training regimen with Luis towards Paris 2024.

Meanwhile, Pereira will undergo training and rehabilitation in Singapore.

The Paris Olympics, slated from 26 July to 11 August, will host athletics events from 2 August to 11 August at the Stade de France.

During her training stint in Florida, she participated in a 400m race at the University of Florida, finishing fifth while setting a new national record.

Ms Pereira currently holds national records in both the 100m and 200m events.

2023 saw Pereira collecting gold medals in both the 100m and 200m events at the Cambodia SEA Games and the Asian Athletics Championships.

In the World Athletics Championships held in August 2023, she made history by becoming the first Singaporean to advance to the semi-finals, clocking an impressive 22.57sec in the 200m heats, subsequently meeting the qualifying standard for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Pereira’s journey to this pinnacle wasn’t without its challenges. The nation first celebrated her talent at the 2015 Southeast Asian Games where she not only won gold in the 200m but also established a new national record.

Her success then ended a 42-year gold medal drought for Singapore in SEA Games sprints.

In October 2023, she clinched a triumphant victory in the women’s 200m final at the Hangzhou Asian Games, ending Singapore’s nearly half-century wait for an athletics gold at the Asian Games.