Shanti Pereira claims gold in the 200m at the Asian Games to retain title

Listen NAGOYA – Adrenaline coursing through her veins, Shanti Pereira thumped the Singapore flag on her chest and let out a celebratory scream after she crossed the line first at the Paloma Mizuho Stadium on Sept 27.

The joy and top-of-the-world confidence she felt in that moment was undeniable, as the 30-year-old became the first woman to win back-to-back 200m gold at the Asian Games.

It did not feel that way on the morning of Sept 27, as the sprinter was feeling the effects of her previous races – the 100m heats, semi-finals and final, and the 200m heats.

Even as the rain pelted down in the final, her belief could not be dampened in the race of her lifetime, as Pereira stormed to victory in a season’s best 22.78sec.