Zaidatul proves that at 31, she still has what it takes to break records

Feeling good: Zaidatul Husniah Zulkifli (left) celebrates after breaking G. Shanti’s (right) 100m national record.

PETALING JAYA: Zaidatul Husniah Zulkifli was not even born when G. Shanti clocked 11.50s to set a new national record in the 100m race in May 1993.

And for 31 years, the record has stood until yesterday when Zaidatul smashed it by 0.01 second at the Perlis Open.

Malaysia Games (Sukma) champion Nur Afrina Batrisyia Mohd Rizal finished second (11.91s) and Tokyo Olympian sprinter Azreen Nabila Alias was third (12.00s).

Zaidatul, who turned 31 on Aug 20, was thrilled to have finally erased the national mark.

“It has been my dream to break the national record.

“I feel fantastic in the morning and I knew I had a chance if I accelerate well from the starting block.

“I tried a few times in the SEA Games and Asian Games but never succeeded.

“I proved today that I am still the top woman sprinter in the country at 31.

“I also hope Malaysians will continue to support our fellow athletes as we are trying out best to improve ourselves in training everyday,” said Zaidatul, who represented Malaysia at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

In 2017, Zaidatul Husniah Zulkifli did run 11.36s in a competition in Pretoria, South Africa, but her time was not recognised as a national record because it was wind-assisted.

The Malaysian Athletics Federation’s (MAF) faith in Zaidatul has certainly paid off.

Zaidatul won two bronze medals – in the 200m and 4x100m – at the Cambodia SEA Games last year.

At the 2017 KL Sea Games, she won silver in the 100m and 200m.

Zaidatul looks set to run in next year’s SEA Games in Thailand as her efforts surpassed the 2023 SEA Games women’s 100m silver medal time of 11.58s.

At the Perlis Open, Nani Sahirah Maryata also broke her own national women’s shot putt record (15.22m) with a throw of 15.39m.