KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia’s 400m runner, Shereen Samson Vallabouy, is willing to switch to the 100m event to secure a wild card entry for the Paris Olympic Games.
According to new guidelines from World Athletics, the universal slot previously known as the wild card, is reserved for athletes competing in the 100m, 800m, and marathon events.
The Malaysia Athletics Federation (MAF) has identified Muhammad Azeem Fahmi as a potential candidate for the slot if no Malaysian athlete qualifies on merit for Paris.
However, Shereen, who holds the national record in the women’s 400m, believes she should also be considered due to her capability in the 100m sprint.
During this season, she demonstrated her potential with a personal best of 11.87sec at the Pure Athletics Elite Invitational in Florida last April.
She nearly improved upon this with an unofficial 11.61sec in the final round of the same championship.
Additionally, Shereen contributed to the national women’s 4x100m relay team winning bronze at the Hangzhou Asian Games last October.
“If I don’t qualify in the 400m or within the world ranking, I would consider either the 100m or 800m.
“Currently, my best chance seems to be in the 100m due to my speed. I’ve performed well in the 100m before and also in the 200m.
“I’ve been consistently improving this year, breaking the national record in the 400m and nearing my personal bests in the 200m and 100m.
“As a seasoned athlete, I feel prepared to handle both competition and training effectively.
“So in that sense, I would like the opportunity to compete in the Paris Olympics,” she said before departing to Almaty today to compete in the Kazakhstan Open.
Shereen is currently ranked 66th in the world and needs to improve to at least 48th by June 30 to qualify for Paris.
Her recent performance at the Malaysia Open in Kuantan saw her clinch the title but settle for a time of 52.45sec, contrasting with her national record of 51.80sec set three weeks ago at the Music City Track Carnival in Tennessee, USA.
She now heads to the Kazakhstan Open in Almaty, her final opportunity to achieve the qualifying time of 50.95sec in the 400m or to boost her world ranking. – June 19, 2024