‘Amazing’ Grace crashes through distance barrier

File photo of Grace Wong after winning the hammer event at the 2014 Sukma with a distance of 55.82m.

KUCHING: It was not her favourite event. But Sarikei-born Grace Wong threw a personal best of 40.62m in the discus to deliver Malaysia’s first gold medal at the 11th Southeast Asia Youth Athletics Championships in Bangkok, Thailand on Saturday.

Her compatriots went on to pick up three other gold medals on the first day of the international junior meet held at the Thammasat University Sports Complex. Running against a strong head-wind, Muhd Haikal Hanafi and Azreen Nabila were timed at 10.91 and 12.25sec respectively to win the boy’s and girl’s 100m.

The national boy’s 4x400m relay quartet ended the day by winning Malaysia’s fourth gold in a time of 3:16.57sec.

Grace had started the championship as the clear favourite to win the hammer throw on Sunday. She was the bronze medalist in that event at the 2015 SEA Games. But the 16-year-old, who has represented Sarawak since the age of 11, continues to compete in the shot put and discus in most national and international age-group meets.

Her distance in Bangkok was the first time that her discus sailed over the 40m barrier.

She beat out the Thai duo of Thanatda Promin and Arwitsada Purimataya who registered 37.89 and 37.13m respectively. Grace’s teammate and fellow Sarawakian Wong Xiao Jing was fourth also with her own personal best of 36.97m.

Two other Sarawakians also competed on Saturday. Sarikei-born Ngu Ing Biao won the silver with a throw of 53.20m in the boy’s discus. Singapore’s Eric Yee (55.01m) and Indonesia’s Rafika Putra (49.94m) took the gold and bronze.

Miri-born Roland Manggie registered a distance of 51.36m to finish 6th in the boy’s javelin. Poramat Matpom won the event with 59.16m to contribute to host Thailand’s tally of five gold medals.

The two-day championships is an annual regional meet for athletes aged 15 to 17.

Malaysia is represented by 20 boys and 13 girls selected mainly on their performances at last year’s MSSM national inter-state schools meet.

 

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