POLE VAULTER ISKANDAR BETTERS HIS NATIONAL RECORD
Pole vaulter eyeing new heights after breaking national record
KUALA LUMPUR: It’s all about fine tuning for pole vaulter Iskandar Alwi as he bids to soar to greater heights at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games from April 4-15.
Iskandar showed he’s on the right track when he shattered his national record with a new mark of 5.31m to win the gold at the Federal Territory All-Comers Championships at the National Sports Council (NSC) Training Track in Bukit Jalil yesterday.
The 23-year-old Iskandar erased his previous record of 5.25m set at the 2017 Kuala Lumpur SEA Games, bettering it by six centimetres.
The new national record is a perfect boost for the Johorean, who aims to break the mark again in Gold Coast.
“I didn’t expect to reach the 5.31m mark – I was just trying to go slightly higher than 5.26m,” said Iskandar.
“I’m just happy to get this result and it’s a good sign for me ahead of the Games.
“I used 14 steps for the run-up before the jump and got the new record but I’m planning to use 16 steps in Gold Coast.
“I think it’ll give a better chance of improving my result. I’m at 85%90% of my ability now and I hope to be 100% at the Games.”
The 23-year-old, who will be making his debut in the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, said it would be tough to win a medal.
“The standard of competition is very high with the presence of world- class athletes,” added Iskandar, who hopes to gain more experience.