Russel settles for silver
Taib failed to achieve a perfect homecoming when the Australian-based sprinter failed to win the gold in his pet event at the Malaysian Open Grand Prix in Bukit Jalil yesterday.
Taiwan’s Wei Tai Sheng won the men’s 200m final in 21.00s, followed by Russel (21.12) and Taiwan’s Yeh Shou-Po (21.24).
His time was way off his national record of 20.77s, set at the Queensland Track Classic on March 23.
“I came into it just a little bit tired. I think coming off a personal best and the flight just took a bit more out of me than I expected,” said the 21-year-old.
“But I just did the best I could and it is still a medal for Malaysia. I guess you can’t win them all.
“You always want to do your best but, it doesn’t happen all the time. I will go back and take a look at my performance and see where I can improve.”
Russel added that his next focus event will be the Asian Championships in Doha later this month.
“I will be heading back to Australia tomorrow (today). I am still studying and we just started our new semester in early March, so I have been doing quizzes online here.”
Meanwhile, Sea Games gold medallist Rayzam Shah Wan Sofian suffered a serious wrist injury and was taken to a hospital in an ambulance.
Rayzam sustained the injury after he had clipped the final hurdle and fell while leading the men’s 110m hurdles final. Compatriot Benedict Ian Gawok won the gold in 14.46s.
— 1 Wei TaiSheng (Tai) 21.00, 2 Russel Taib (Mas) 21.12, 3 Yeh Shou-Po (Tai) 21.24;
1 Benedict Ian Gawok (Mas) 14.46s, 2 Naim Abdullah (Mas) 14.52, 3 Rizzua Haizad Muhamad (Mas) 14.70; 1 Yu Chen-Yi (Tai) 46.50s, 2 Yang Lung-Hsiang (Tai) 46.75, 3 Abdul Wafiy Roslan (Mas) 47.28. 1. Lee Ywunchul (Kor) 70.70m, 2 Jackie Wong (Mas) 65.87, 3 Lee Huiyeong (Kor) 55.01; 1 Musulman Dzholomanov (Kgz) 4:00.13s, 2 Prabudass Krishnan (Mas) 4:03.11, 3 Vadim Levchenkov (Kaz) 4:04.07;
1 Sung Jin Suok (Kor) 16.18m, 2 Hakimi Ismail (Mas) 16.16m, 3 Nam Suhwan (Kor) 15.35m; 1 Kartik Kumar (Ind) 15:00.29s, 2 Christopher Soosai (Mas) 16:07.01, 3 Gokhul Raj Balakrishnan (Mas) 16:51.63.
1 Park Seojin (Kor) 59.52m, 2 Nurul Hidayah Lukman (Mas) 50.34m, 3 Fatin Nabihah Ibrahim (Mas) 43.87; :1 Tsai Ching-Jung (Tai) 1.78m, 2 Michelle Sng (Sin) 1.75, 3 Kristina Ovchinnikova (Kaz) 1.75; 1 Gulshanoi Satarova (Kgz) 4:33.09s, 2 Rebi Pal (Ind) 4:35.70, 3 Dimple Singh (India) 4:37.45; 1 Anna Bulanova (Kgz) 23.71s, 2 S. Komalam (Mas) 24.60s, Siti Fatimah Mohamad (Mas) 24.84; 1 Emilia Nova (Ina) 13.59s, 2 Ryu Na Hee (Kor) 14.25, 3 Raja Nursheena Raja Azhar (Mas) 14.31; 1 Nurul Faizah Asma Mazlan (Mas) 55.52, 2 Zaimah Atifah Zainuddin (Mas) 56.95, 3 Fathin Faqihah Mohd Yusuf (Mas) 57.69.