PHNOM PENH: “It doesn’t matter if I pull a hamstring, as long as I win.”
That was the nonchalant reaction of national athlete Umar Osman after pulling off a sensational surprise to clinch the men’s 400 metres (m) gold medal at the 2023 SEA Games here in 46.34 seconds (s) to erase the old national mark of 46.41s set by Mohd Zaiful Zainal Abidin at the Asian Junior Championships in Brunei in July 2001.
Umar looked to be trailing in the early stages of the race before stepping on the gas in the final 70m to romp home in a new national record, thus presenting the national athletics camp with its second gold medal on the second day of competition at the Morodok Techo National Stadium here.
Speaking to reporters after his amazing run, the runner from Kluang, Johor, admitted that he never thought he could win the event, let alone erase the previous national mark on his maiden SEA Games appearance.
“I only wanted to gain experience because this is my first SEA Games outing. Although I finished first in the semi-finals this morning, I was still not convinced that I could win because I felt that the others did not go all out. In the final, I just went flat out, didn’t think of anything, just ran like the wind,” he said as he shed tears of joy.
The 20-year-old was quick to dedicate his victory to his coach, Simon Lau Chin Meng, who was instrumental in guiding him in training all along until he managed to continue his studies at Politeknik Ibrahim Sultan, Pasir Gudang, as well as his family for their constant support and motivation.
“I did not finish my Sixth Form and entered the polytechnic because my results then were not very encouraging and coach Simon was worried that I may not want to continue my studies.
“I had wasted two years in Sixth Form and made the decision to join the polytechnic before heading to the national camp where I trained. There were times when I was completely ‘punctured’ and could not even get up,” he said as he reminisced about the highs and lows that led to his moment of truth here.
Filipinos Umajesty Wesley Lachicha Williams (46.52s) and Frederick Cabatu Ramirez (46.63s) settled for silver and bronze respectively.
Earlier yesterday, Shereen Samson Vallabouy emerged as the new Southeast Asian 400m queen when she clinched her first gold medal in her pet event, having had to be contented with a bronze in her SEA Games debut at the 2015 edition in Singapore.
She said the advice from her mother, former national athlete Josephine Mary before the race, had her all pumped up to blaze the track.
“I think the main thing here was that I just wanted to do my best. Of course, the pressure was there but being able to tackle that as well as talking to my parents, and them being past athletes, gave me the motivation (I needed) and it really helped reduce my anxiety.
“Thank you for all the support and sacrifices they (my family) have made. I am thankful for them being here to watch (me run) and it was a really great moment for me,” she said.
The victory by Shereen, who also holds the national 400m record of 52.53s, thus ended the domination of Vietnam’s Nguyen Thi Huyen, who had won the event four consecutive times.
Nguyen Thi Huyen (53.27s) and compatriot Nguyen Thi Hang (53.84s) had to settle for silver and bronze respectively.
Umar’s achievement saw him end Malaysia’s 14-year gold medal drought at the biennial Games after Zafril Zuslaini’s victory in the 2009 edition in Vientiane, Laos.
Shereen, meanwhile, ended an even longer wait by ensuring Malaysia returned to the top of the podium in the women’s 400m event at the SEA Games after N. Manimagalay last triumphed for the country in the 1999 edition in Brunei.
Following is the 2023 SEA Games medal tally as at 11 pm Malaysian time yesterday:
| Gold | Silver | Bronze | |
| Thailand | 40 | 30 | 45 |
| Vietnam | 39 | 39 | 46 |
| Cambodia | 39 | 39 | 39 |
| Philippines | 25 | 39 | 42 |
| Indonesia | 25 | 22 | 52 |
| Singapore | 20 | 15 | 18 |
| Malaysia | 15 | 15 | 32 |
| Myanmar | 11 | 8 | 28 |
| Laos | 5 | 9 | 29 |
| Brunei | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Timor-Leste | 0 | 0 | 2 |
– BERNAMA
