PUTERI IS NOW THE QUEEN
Pole vaulter breaks 18-year-old Malaysia Games record
NEGRI Sembilan’s Puteri Nur Adillah Shik Azizir Rahman grabbed attention at the Perak Stadium yesterday when she battered Roslinda Samsu’s 18-year-old record in the women’s pole vault at the Malaysia Games.
Puteri cleared 3.80m, smashing the previous record of 3.75m set by Roslinda, a former Asian Games medallist, at the 2000 Penang edition.
Kedah’s Nurul Fitriyana Abdul Rani recorded 3.50m for the silver, followed by Pahang’s Nor Sarah Adi (3.30m).
The 19-year-old Puteri said her next mission is to clear 4.00m as it will earn her a spot in Malaysia’s Sea Games squad for next year’s edition in the Philippines.
Puteri made her Sea Games debut in last year’s Kuala Lumpur edition but she finished last following an injury.
“I have been training for the Malaysia Games since last year’s Sea Games under coach Manshahar Abdul Jalil.
“My previous best was 3.70m and today, I managed to clear 3.80m. My goal is to make more inroads and try to clear 4.00m after this,” said Puteri.
Meanwhile, despite being illness since the opening day of the athletics competition, Eng May Xin of Federal Territories served a surprise in the heptathlon discipline by smashing one of the longest standing records at the Malaysia Games.
May Xin erased Masliza Shaari’s record of 4,453 points set at the 1996 Pahang edition by earning 4,510 points to win the gold medal.
Penang’s Koh Ann Yi (4,028 points) won the silver, followed by Sarawak’s Mazween Ubong Lah (3,806).
May Xin, 19, also recorded personal best in four (100m hurdle, 200m, long jump and javelin) out of the seven events.
“I like heptathlon as even if you lose in one event, you will still have a chance to make up in other disciplines. I have not been feeling good, but I rallied on to attain glory.
“Frankly, I did not expect to win gold in this event,” she said.