After Ridzuan Puzi’s outstanding performance in the T36 100m dash earlier this week, Siti Noor Iasah became the second Malaysian to thoroughly impress on the track, as she finished fourth in the T20 400m event last night.
She went into the Paralympic Games with a personal best of 60.4 seconds, though that number was shattered as Siti won the second T20 400m heat by clocking 58.96 seconds, effectively setting a new Asian record as well.
Saya telah cuba yg terbaik! #DemiNegara Saya tetap berbangga dgn pencapaian saya! ~ Siti Noor Iasah #KamiLuarBiasa 👍 pic.twitter.com/DxjxT0FbBd
— Institut Sukan Negara 🥇🇲🇾 (@isnmalaysia) September 13, 2016
Expectations predictably increased for the final, and Siti did not disappoint. Her terrific run almost earned her a bronze medal, Poland’s Barbara Niewiedzial dove for the finish line at the end, forcing Siti to narrowly settle for fourth spot. Impressively, she defeated her own Asian record for the second time in two days, clocking 58.55 seconds in the final.
She would undoubtedly be frustrated with the fourth-placed finish, but it doesn’t negate the fact that Siti Noor Iasah is effectively Malaysia’s newest sprint queen. To celebrate her impressive feat in Rio, here are 5 things you need to know about the 400m runner.
1) She competes under the T20 Intellectual Disability category – Siti Noor Iasah never had it easy while she was growing up. She struggled with studies at her primary school and the problem persisted at her secondary school. Thankfully, her interest in sports allowed her to represent the school and eventually the state, in a plethora of national competitions.
2) How a teacher changed Siti’s life – Siti’s father, Mohamad Ariffin Khalid told Utusan that her daughter received constant assistance and encouragement from a teacher in her secondary school. The teacher – whose identity wasn’t disclosed – spotted her talent and began encouraging her to join various competitions. The same teacher eventually helped Siti get into the Majlis Sukan Negeri program, where she started training as a professional athlete.
3) Siti’s most important ‘coach’ – Muhammad Hafiz Bakar has represented has represented Malaysia at the SEA Games as well as Asian Para Games, where he competed in the shot put and discus throw event. These days, he is a part-time coach at the National Sports Institute – where he trains a plethora of para athletes, including his wife, Siti Noor Iasah. In fact, Siti has been in constant touch with Hafiz, since arriving in Rio de Janeiro. “I told her to concentrate on her own race and not to think too much about winning,” he told New Straits Times, prior to her 400m final.
4) 2015 IPC World Championship – Siti’s best achievement to date was a bronze medal at the IPC World Championship in Doha last year. She narrowly finished behind Ukraine’s Natalia Iezlovetzka and Poland’s Barbara Niewiedzial, who won silver and gold respectively. That win effectively put the 27 year-old on the world map, ahead of the Paralympic Games. True enough, Siti was a medal contender in Rio, as depicted via her astounding run last night.
5) She’s a mother too! – “Lari kuat-kuat tau,” was her daughter’s message, before the T20 400m final. Siti’s greatest success doesn’t necessarily come from her on-track feats, but rather her ability to break through various barriers to come this far. The path is usually a lot more complicated for female athletes, considering how conservative our society can be. But Siti battled through everything and transformed herself into a world-class athlete. Who said mothers can’t pursue their own dreams? If anything, Siti is now an exemplary role model for her own daughter!
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