PARIS: Deep in the heart of the Stade de France, Shanti Pereira took a moment to compose herself.
Midway through speaking to reporters, her voice trailed off as tears welled up.
She was disappointed with her result, but the timing didn’t tell the full story.
“I was coming into 2024 very excited with all the results from last year,” she said, after her 100m heat in the Paris Olympics on Fri (Aug 2).
“I was super pumped and then there was that very, very unfortunate injury which took me back a whole eight weeks. My coach and I did the best that we could, given the circumstances.”
Singapore’s sprint queen did not qualify for the 100m semi-finals, finishing 55th out of 72 athletes overall.
Her time of 11.63s saw her place 7th out of nine runners in her heat. Her national record stands at 11.20s.
The top three in each heat and the next fastest three of the eight heats qualify for the semis.
“(The run) was not great. I think we all know the time was not the best. We came into this 100m particularly to really prepare for the 200m,” said the Singaporean.
“Wish it was a better time, but it is what it is.”
Last month, it was announced that Pereira, silver medallist in the 100m at the last Asian Games, will compete in the event after she qualified through her world ranking.
Pereira, who was one of Singapore’s two flag bearers alongside sailor Ryan Lo, had earlier qualified for the 200m by meeting the Olympic entry standard.
She was 42nd in the Race to Paris rankings in the 100m event, with the top 56 qualifying, according to a list from World Athletics (WA).
Qualification for the Games is based on a dual pathway. Athletes could qualify via entry standards as well as world rankings. The entry standard for the 100m event is 11.07s.
GETTING BACK IN THE GROOVE
Last year was a career-defining one for Pereira.
At the Hangzhou Asian Games, she won the women’s 200m final – Singapore’s first athletics gold medal since 1974.
Days before that, Pereira ended Singapore’s nearly 50-year wait for a track and field medal at the Asian Games, after she won a silver in the 100m.
Pereira notched a sprint double at the Asian Athletics Championships in July and also became the first Singaporean woman to win both the 100m and 200m events at the SEA Games in May.
But she had suffered an injury setback earlier in the year, where a stress injury in her fibula put paid to her Olympics preparation as well as plans to compete in the Diamond League and various meets.
“Getting injured in such an important year, I just kind of had to find my mindset again. Find that mindset I had, especially since last year was so good,” said Pereira.
“It was coming back from that, trying to find my rhythm and groove on the track again because the nature of the injury just took me back so many steps.”
Pereira had been based in Europe for the past few months as she ramped up training for Paris.
She will next compete in the 200m on Sunday.
However, Pereira’s disappointment is also testament to the standards she now sets for herself.
“I have reached a different level. I want to be able to stay there,” she added.
For now, she is looking ahead to the next race.
“It was tough for sure. But it’s okay, I’m still here. I still managed to show up in Paris, and really got a chance to give my best,” said Pereira.
“It’s really a privilege. I get to do two events plus I get to say I get to warm up for the 200m (with the 100m), not a lot of people can say that. So, there’s a lot of wins also.”
