Shanti Pereira qualifies for World Athletics Championships on merit, becomes first Singaporean in over a decade to do so

SINGAPORE — Shanti Pereira notched another milestone in a stellar 2023 for her as she has qualified for the World Athletics Championships on merit.

Pereira, 26, booked her spot at the Aug 19-27 meet in Budapest through her world rankings in both the women's 100m and 200m events. She is the first Singaporean to do so since at least 2011, when national body Singapore Athletic began to track such data.

Pereira has competed in three previous world championships but as a wild card.

There are several ways to qualify directly for the biennial competition. The first is by meeting the entry standard by the July 30 deadline, with the additional slots filled by those who qualify via their world rankings position.

Athletes are awarded points based on a combination of result and placing, as well as the level of the competition for the meet.

There were 48 spots for both the 100m and 200m. For the former, 24 sprinters had met the entry standard of 11.08 seconds, while another 24 made it through by their world rankings.

Pereira, whose personal best is 11.20sec, was 49th in the world rankings at the end of the qualification window with 1,220 points. But she qualified as the 36th-highest entrant as each country is allowed only a maximum of three entrants, though Jamaica have four representatives, as Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce is the defending champion.

In the 200m, 26 women met the qualifying time of 22.60sec. Another 22 qualified through their world rankings positions.

Pereira, whose personal best this season is 22.69sec, which is also a national record, was second on that list with 1,228 points.

She has been in fine form in 2023. She claimed a historic 100m-200m sprint double at the Cambodia SEA Games in May, before repeating that feat at the Asian championships in July.

In recent weeks, Pereira has been training and competing in Europe. At the Mittsommernacht Athletics meet on July 30, she beat German Gina Luckenkemper, the reigning European 100m and 4x100m relay champion, to win gold in the 200m.

She also finished first in the same event at the Folksam Grand Prix in Malmo, Sweden, earlier in August.

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This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.