Sibu’s Norris racing to a new record of 14.8sec in the Girls U18 100m hurdles.
DRUM MAJOR: Temenggong Vincent Lau officiating at the opening of the 43rd MSS Sarawak Track and Field Championship at Tun Zaidi Stadium, Sibu on Wednesday. 838 school athletes representing eleven divisions are competing in the four-day event which will close on Saturday. Top athletes from the meet will be selected to represent the state in the annual MSSM Inter-State Championship to be held in Melaka in May this year. Sarawak reign as the undisputed powerhouse in the national schools athletics meet. The state contingent has won the national title in 18 of the last 22 years.
Miri’s Ting Aik Hou successfully defended his Boys U18 shot put title with a throw of 14.66m.
Girls U15 discus record breaker Wong Xiao Jing of Sarikei.
SIBU: Five more records were shattered on the second day of the 43rd MSSS Championship at Tun Zaidi Stadium here yesterday.
State sprinter Norris Foo continued from where she left off on the first day with her second record of the meet.
In the Girls U18 100m hurdles, she again left all other finalists far behind as she raced to a time of 14.8sec to eclipse the old time of 15.2sec established by Vanysia Ulau Janda in 2010.
“I am happy with the results but I will not rest on my laurels as I will continue to work hard to improve my time,” she said.
Norris, who is representing Sibu, will next compete in the 200m.
Minutes before the race yesterday, her two-year old record of 15.78sec in the Girls U15 100m hurdles was also broken by Nur Aini Zahirah who registered a new time of 15.5sec.
The third record broken on the track was in the Boys U15 400m when Kuching’s Mohd Nur Aidiel Messelan clocked 51.91sec to better the previous mark of 52.0sec set by Mohd Kahruizul in 2000.
Meanwhile, two new records were set on the field by throwers.
Sarikei’s rising star Wong Xiao Jing threw the Girls U15 discus to a new distance of 34.41m to improve on the old mark of 33.36m set by Loo Li Jun in 2010.
The 15-year-old from SMK Dong Hua has delivered promising results ever since she was unearthed by the school teacher cum coach Liong Shuen Kiong a few years back.
Her schoolmate Wong Nie Nie had earlier grabbed the gold medal in the Girl’s U-18 Javelin.
On a rainy and slippery Wednesday, Nie Nie only reached a distance of 36.21m which was below her personal best of 39.40m.
The 17 year-old Nie Nie is now off to Bukit Jalil to represent Malaysia in the 10th SEA Youth Championship which starts today.
In the Boys U15 shot put, Miri’s Samuel Ling Jeng Yi heaved the iron ball to a distance of 15.45m, beating the previous standard of 13.78m set by Sim Quan Ying last year
In the Girls U18 shot putt, Sibu’s Betty Hoong was disappointed despite taking first place.
Her best throw of 10.90m fell below her personal best of 11.20m.
Meanwhile, Kuching Division continued to take a slim lead in the team standings with 213 points (19 gold, nine silver and 13 bronze medals).
Miri continue the chase with 203 points (11-16-13).
Lying third after two days are hosts Sibu (151 points; 10-8-8) followed by Sarikei (106; 6-8-6), Bintulu (76; 4-6-3), Limbang (57; 4-5-2), Kapit (49; 3-0-7), Samarahan (28; 1-2-1), Mukah (18; 0-2-1), Betong (18; 0-1-3) and Sri Aman (8; 0-0-2)
The four-day meet will end on Saturday.