JACKIE BREAKS OWN NATIONAL RECORD TWICE IN A MONTH

Sarawak athlete breaks own national record twice in a month

KUALA LUMPUR: The two-month training-cum-competition stint in South Korea has really paid off for hammer throwner Jackie Wong Siew Cheer (pic).

The Sarawak athlete, who went to Mokpo, South Korea in February, has now rewritten his own national record twice in a month.

On April 17, he shattered his record with a hurl of 64.55m en route to winning the gold at the Jeollanamdo Track and Field Championships in South Korea. It erased his previous mark of 64.50m set at the Pahang Open in March last year.

Then yesterday, Jackie – representing Armed Forces – improved his mark by 40cm with an effort of 64.95m in his sixth and last throw to win the gold in the Government Services Games (Maksak) at Stadium Utama in Kangar.

Nine athletes took part in the men’s hammer event with Jackie’s team-mate Mohd Nizam Zuki (44.78m) winning silver and Perlis’ Rizhan Rajmi (44.48m) securing the bronze.

The 25-year-old Jackie was delighted with his efforts.

“It feels good to break the record twice in a month. My two months of training in Mokpo is paying off.

“I hope to continue improving,” said Jackie, who has been training under China coach Gu Yuan for the last four years.

Jackie now hopes to make his mark in the KL SEA Games in August.

“I have won three bronzes in the last three SEA Games ( Palembang 2011, Myanmar 2013 and Singapore 2015),” he said.

“I hope to go one better in the KL Games.”

But first, he has another assignment – and another target – lined up.

“My mission is to break the 65m barrier in the Thailand Open (at the Thammasat University Sports Complex in Bangkok from June 12-15),” he said.