Shereen Breaks 30-Year-Old National Women's Record To Become The Fastest Malaysian Woman
Shereen's time of 51.8s makes her the first Malaysian woman to go under 52 seconds in the event.
US-based Malaysian sprinter Shereen Samson Vallabouy set a new Malaysian record in the women's 400m last Saturday, 15 April, to break a Malaysian record that had remained unbroken since June 1993
The 24-year-old sprinter clocked a time of 51.8s in the women's 400m at the 63rd Annual Mt SAC Relays Athletics Championship in California, breaking Rabia Abdul Salam's long-standing national record of 52.56s.
Rabia had set the record at the Asian Championships in Manila, five years before Shereen was born. In other words, Rabia's record stood for 30 years.
Shereen is the youngest daughter of former national athlete Samson Vallabouy and former Olympian Josephine Mary Singarayar
Dubbed 'Super' Shereen for her speed, the Perak-born 24-year-old set the new national record when running in heat one in the American meet. She placed fifth overall, reported New Straits Times.
Watch the video of Shereen's record-breaking feat here:
Shereen will be representing Malaysia in the 400m and 4x400m events at the 2023 Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia this May
Shereen's time at the Mt SAC Relays Athletics Championship also topped the SEA Games record of 51.83, making her a strong bet for the gold medal at the biennial multi-sport event in Cambodia next month.
Not just that, Shereen's time of 51.8 makes the 24-year-old the first Malaysian woman to go under 52 seconds in the event, an unparalleled feat for a woman in Malaysian athletics history.
Speaking about her latest record-breaking feat, Shereen said, "It's really fantastic to run below 52.00 seconds. I have finally broken Rabia's 30-year-old national record. I feel proud of my efforts."
"It's the best achievement of my athletics career. I feel on top of the world as all my hard work in training has paid off," added Shereen, who thanked her coach Mason Rebarchek for her progress.
She is also the fastest 200m female runner in the country with a time of 23.52s.
Image via @shereen_vallabouy (Instagram)
Last year, she set a new national record by becoming the first Malaysian female runner to go under 54 seconds in an indoor 400m race:
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