Shereen makes mom proud with silver at Taiwan Open

Shereen Samson Vallabouy [front] reacts after wins in women 400m final during the 10th Youth Athletics Champonship at MSN Stadium in Bukit Jalil. AZMAN GHANI / The Star

KUALA LUMPUR: Youngster Shereen Samson Vallabouy did her coach-cum-mother Josephine Mary proud by winning the silver in the women’s 400m on the first day of the Taiwan Open Athletics Championships.

The 18-year-old Shereen, trained by former international Josephine for the last three months in Bukit Jalil, clocked 55.28 at the Taoyuan City Stadium in Taipei on Thursday.

Thi Ngoc Hoang of Vietnam clinched the gold in 53.79. Malaysian Nurul Faizah Asma Mazlan clocked 55,72 to bag the bronze.

Shereen was pleased with her efforts.

“It was my first 400m event since I won the bronze at the Singapore SEA Games last June. I’m happy that I didn’t let my mother down by winning the silver here,” said Shereen, whose next competition is the Asian Junior Championships in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, from June 2-6.

Mom cum coach Josephine gives pep talk to Shereen.

Malaysia also won another four bronzes.

Jonathan Nyepa hit the tape in 10.55 to finish third in the men’s 100m final.

Malaysian No. 1 Badrul Hisyam Abdul Manap, who won the gold at last month’s Philippines Open, could only  manage 10.57 to finish fourth.

Fijian Banuve Tabakaucoro won the gold by clocking 10.34. Japanese Shuhei Tada was second in 10.39.

There were three Malaysians in the women’s 100m final but only Siti Fatima Mohamad grabbed a medal. She clocked 11.87 to win the bronze.

S. Komalam Shally, the gold medallist at the Singapore Open two weeks ago, finished fourth in 11.89 while compatriot Zaidatul Husniah Zulkifli clocked 12.05 to finish eighth. 

India’s Dutee Chand emerged champion with a time of 11.50 while Taiwanese Liaojing Xian clocked 11.72 to bag the silver.

Jackie Wong Siew Cheer was a bronze medallist in the men’s hammer with a hurl of 63.15m. He was way off his national record of 64.50m, which he set in the Pahang Open in Kuantan in March.

South Korean Lee Yun-chul won the gold with a throw of 71.75m while Slovakia’s Libor Charfreitag registered  71.69m for the silver.

Malaysia’s fifth bronze was bagged by Muhammad Azam Masri in the men’s 400m. He clocked 47.41.

Today is the last day of the championships with another 25 golds up for grabs.

 

RESULTS (All finals)

Men

100m: 1. Banuve Tabakaucoro (Fij) 10.34, 2. Shuhei Tada (Jpn) 10.39, 3. Jonathan Nyepa (Mas) 10.55.

400m: 1. Clayton Parros (US) 46.43, 2. Akheem Gauntlett (Jam) 46.73, 3. Muhammad Azam Masri (Mas) 47.41.

110m hurdles: 1. Yang Wei-ting (Tpe) 13.86, 2. Chen Kuiru (Tpe) 14.12, 3. Wuhan Wei (Tpe) 14.13.

Hammer: 1. Lee Yun-chul (Kor) 71.75m, 2. Libor Charfreitag (Svk) 71.69m, 3. Jackie Wong Siew Cheer (Mas) 63.15m.

Long jump: 1. Ankit Sharma (Ind) 7.67m, 2. Chan Ming Tai (Hkg) 7.59m, Lin Jing-xuan (Tpe) 7.57m.

Women

100m: 1. Dutee Chand (Ind) 11.50, 2. Liaojing Xian (Tpe) 11.72, 3. Siti Fatima Mohamad (Mas) 11.87.

400m: 1. Thi Ngoc Hoang (Vie) 53.79, 2. Shereen Samson Vallabouy (Mas) 55.28, 3. Nurul Faizah Asma Mazlan (Mas) 55.72.

1,500m: 1. Vu Thi Ly (Vie) 4:30.26, 2. Kim Son-hui (Kor) 4:31.43, 3. Kim Chun-mi (Kor) 4:33.13.