Le Tu Chinh beats Knott to retain SEA Games Gold at 100m in 11.54

Flash Performance___The key to success in the 100m is efficiency - in the execution of racing strategy.

It was what Vietnam's defending champion Le Tu Chinh has done during the finals of women's 100m to clinch the gold medal in 11.54 (-0.5 m/s), whilst defended her title.

Kristina Knott of the Philippines, the winner of 200m yesterday, was trailing her from the start, ended slightly behind in 11.55.

In the 200m yesterday, Knott won in a new SEA Games record of 23.01 and leaving Chinh in a distant second (23.45).

Knott, who has a 100m best of 11.41 from last June, was a clear favorite as she became the fastest finalist in 11.45 clocking, with Chinh (PB 11.47) who as well the defending champion in 200m, was second in 11.61.

One would expect an easy win for Knott. But it did not happen, Chinh took the victory!

Chinh has executed her race very well from the start to finish. A simple review of a high-speed camera found a 0.02s gap by Chinh right at the start.

Singapore's Shanti Pereira retained her bronze medal in 11.68, as he did in the 200m.

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Lee Hup Wei wins fourth high jump gold in SEA Games

Lee Hup Wei earned his fourth gold medal in the SEA games as he won the men's high jump during the 30th SEA Games edition in Clark, the Philippines.

The 32-year-old cleared 2.21m to win the gold medal from defending champion, Nauraj Singh who had to settle for the silver medal after a countback.

During the last edition in Kuala Lumpur, both have cleared 2.24m but Nauraj won on a countback as well.

Nauraj holds the current national record of 2.30m that qualifies him for the Rio Olympics in 2016, while Hup Wei's PB of 2.29m was achieved recently in Doha to become the first Malaysian to reach the finals of world championships.

Lee Hup Wei won his first SEA Games in 2007 (2.19m), and retained it in 2009 (2.18m) and 2011 (2.15m).

The SEA games title was then handed over to Nauraj in the next three editions in 2013 (2.17m), 2015 (2.13m), and 2017 (2.24m).

The SEA games record of 2.24m is being held by three Malaysian athletes, both Hup Wei and Nauraj from 2017, and Loo Kum Zee from 1995.



Malaysian domination in high jump

Malaysia has been dominating the men's high jump in SEA Games. This was started by Zainal Salleh in 1967 who won Malaysia's first high jump gold in a height of 1.91m.

But only ten years later in 1977, the gold medal returned to Malaysian possession when Baljit Singh won in 2.04m during which Malaysia became the host.

Malaysia then continues to win the gold medal in every SEA Games editions, except in 2005 when the gold medal went to Vietnam's Nguyen Duy Bang (2.14m).

Ho Yoon Wah won in 1979 (2.05m) and 1981 (2.10m), and this was continued by Ramjit Naurulal who bassed the gold in 1983 (2.13m) and 1985 (2.07m).

Loo Cwee Peng won three times in 1987 (2.10m), 1991 (2.17m), and in 1993 (2.21m), while the 1989 edition was grabbed by Kesavan Sibalan who achieved a height of 2.14m.

Loo Kum Zee continued this tradition with five consecutive wins in 1995 (2.24m - current SEA Games record) 1997 (2.10m), 1999 (2.21m), 2001 (2.18m), and 2003 (2.15m).

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Haiqal Hanafi wins SEA Games 100m Gold in 10.35

Malaysia’s Muhammad Haiqal Hanafi is the king of sprint of the 30th SEA Games that was held in Clark, the Philippines.

He clocked a new personal best (PB) of 10.35 to win the century dash in an unexpectedly huge margin against a strong 100m field.

Thailand's fastest final qualifier Sowan Ruttanapon and Bandit Chuangchai were in second (10.49) and third (10.52) for silver and bronze, respectively.

Ironically, the 20-year-old was not listed as a representative for the 100m until the mid of November when the Malaysian Athletics Federation decided to have him as a replacement of an injured sprinter (Zulfiqar Ismail).

In fact, he was not the first choice for that as was the 4th fastest among the locals, behind Jonathan Nyepa (10.37), Zulfiqar Ismail (10.41), and Russel Taib (10.42), before the SEA Games.

However, he had a more compelling performance throughout the year than other Malaysian sprinters who seem unconvincingly prepared for the sprint century.

He won a double (100m and 200m) in the national championships in August and posted a 10.44 during a local meeting in November.

Haiqal who trains under Poad Kassim has triggered a sound signal for something to watch in the finals as he ran 10.39 in heats in the morning, a personal best.

"Thanks God, thanks to my coach, families, and those who have supported me, I executed my race plan very well," Haiqal said.

Meanwhile, Vietnam’s Le Tu Chinh retained her title in the women’s 100m in a time of 11.54, just ahead Kristina Knott of the Philippines who stopped the clock at 11.55.

Like Haiqal, she was unstoppable after taking a good lead from the start.

Singapore's Veronica Shanti Pereira retained her bronze medal from the last edition as she finished in third place in 11.66.

Malaysia's Zaidatul Husniah Zulkifli who bagged the silver medal in Kuala Lumpur, was in sixth in 11.84.

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Haiqal Hanafi clocks 10.39s at 100m in SEA Games

Flash Performance ___ Malaysian sprinter Haiqal Hanfi clocked a new personal best of 10.39 (-0.1 m/s) during his 100m heats, in the Day 3 morning session (8 December) of the 30th SEA Ganes at Clark.

He entered the final round as a second fastest qualifier behind Thailand's Ruttanapon Sowan who also ran a new personal best of 10.34.

The next fastest qualifiers were Thailand's Bandit Chuangchai (10.50), Anfernee Lopena of the Philippines (10.61), and Malaysia's Jonathan Nyepa (10.65).

Meanwhile, after winning the women's 200m yesterday, Kristina Knott of the Philippines returned to track and won her 100m heats. The US-based sprinter clocked a time of 11.45 (-0.1 m/s).

She has a lifetime best of 11.42 in the 100m this year.

Vietnam's defending champion Le Tu Chinh won the second heat in 11.61 (0.0 m/s).

Malaysia's Zaidatul Husniah Zulkifli ran 11.68 behind Knott in the first heats. She won silver medals at 100m and 200m behind Le Tu Chinh during the last SEA Games edition in Kuala Lumpur.

Full results of men's and women's 100m heats as follows (in order):

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Kittipong Boonmawan 67.56m Hammer SEA Games record, Jackie Wong 63.83m for Silver

Flash Performance___On Saturday (7 December) the second day of athletics in the 30th Southeast Asian Games, Thailand's Kittipong Boonmawan has thrown the iron ball at a distance of 67.56m to take the gold medal in the men's hammer throw while erasing the games record of 65.90m.

Malaysia's defending champion Jackie Wong Siew Cheer seems unable to repeat what he had been doing during the previous months and years.

He settled for the silver medal in the best distance of 63.83m.

He also had fouled three times, which seemed to deny his chance of getting good marks.

He recorded a distance of 68.22m a few months ago, his 13th national record in his pet event.

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