Shanti Pereira wins silver in women’s 100m at Asian Athletics Championships

Singapore’s Shanti Pereira claimed a silver medal in the women’s 100m final at the Asian Athletics Championships on 28 May 2025.

The competition took place in Gumi, South Korea, where Pereira finished with a time of 11.41 seconds.

She was narrowly beaten by China’s Liang Xiaojing, who clinched gold in 11.37 seconds.

Vietnam’s Tran Thi Nhi Yen completed the podium with a time of 11.54 seconds.

Pereira, 28, is the defending champion in both the 100m and 200m events.

Though she had a slower start, she gained ground in the final stretch, coming in just behind Liang.

In a Facebook post, Singapore Athletics wrote, “It’s that familiar feeling again. Singapore’s Sprint Queen lights up the continent.”

Speaking to CNA, Pereira expressed her satisfaction with her performance.

“Didn’t get the start I wanted but I stuck to my race plan and came away with a silver that wasn’t too far away from gold. Couldn’t be happier,” she said.

She added, “As always the Asian Championships brings tough competition, but I showed up as a medal contender and made sure I fought to the finish, which is exactly what I did, and earned ourselves yet another Asian podium.”

Earlier in the day, Pereira qualified for the final by placing second overall in the heats.

She clocked 11.40 seconds, which was her season’s best.

Liang had led the heats with a time of 11.22 seconds.

At the 2023 Asian Championships, Pereira made history by winning gold in both the 100m and 200m events.

She set a national record of 11.20 seconds in the 100m and a meet record of 22.70 seconds in the 200m.

That year, she also secured gold in the 200m and silver in the 100m at the Hangzhou Asian Games.

However, 2024 proved more challenging for the sprinter, with injuries affecting her form.

A stress injury in her fibula sidelined her from key events including her Diamond League debut in Xiamen and Shanghai.

The injury also disrupted her preparations for the Paris Olympics.

At the Games, Pereira did not advance beyond the heats in either sprint event.

In the 100m, she clocked 11.63 seconds and finished 55th out of 72 athletes.

In the 200m, she ran 23.21 seconds in the heats and 23.45 seconds in the repechage, falling short of the semi-finals.

Her national record for the 200m remains 22.57 seconds.

Despite recent setbacks, Pereira appears to be regaining form.

She is scheduled to race next in the 200m heats on Friday.

“Nothing but excitement over here for the 200 coming up,” she remarked.