Shanti Pereira retains Asian Games 200m gold and makes history for Singapore

A race lasts seconds. Getting yourself ready to win it again can take years. Shanti Pereira brought those two timescales together in Nagoya on September 27, turning another sprint final into a piece of Asian Games history.

The Singaporean won the women's 200m in 22.78 seconds, becoming the first woman to retain the title. China's Chen Yujie finished second in 22.93, with India's Harita Bhadra taking bronze in 23.20.

A familiar rival, a different result

The Straits Times report carried by The Star described Pereira pulling past Chen in the closing stretch at Paloma Mizuho Stadium. Chen had beaten her for the 100m title two days earlier.

This time, the longer sprint went Pereira's way. Her advantage over Chen was 0.15 seconds. Tiny on a clock, decisive on a track.

At 30, Pereira now has four Asian Games medals. She won 100m silver and 200m gold at Hangzhou in 2023, and repeated that combination in Nagoya. Holding a title through another edition of the Games means returning to face a fresh contest, with no points awarded for the previous win.

She was tired, but she believed

Sport Singapore's account said Pereira had felt exhausted after earlier races and had not been sleeping well because of nerves. Still, she arrived at the final believing she could win.

She credited the repeated racing she had done through the season with helping her handle the demands of the competition. It is a useful detail because confidence can look effortless from the stands. In her account, it was something built through preparation and experience.

She had qualified fastest in the 200m heats with 23.10 seconds. In the final, she produced 22.78, matching the mark she had already run earlier in the season.

The people behind the performance

After winning, Pereira spoke about the people who supported her through setbacks. CNA's reporting highlighted her parents, fiance Tan Zong Yang and coach Luis Cunha.

Pereira said they had believed in her when her own belief was weaker. Her route from the 2023 title to this one had included a fibula stress injury in 2024 and a difficult Paris Olympics, where she did not progress beyond the sprint heats.

That background gives Sunday's result more depth than a medal count alone. The years between two victories can include disappointment, interrupted plans and the slow work of rebuilding confidence.

For young athletes watching, the striking part is that nerves and readiness can exist together. Pereira did not describe a perfect morning or a completely fresh body. She described being prepared to compete anyway. Then she crossed the line first, and a title defence became a first of its kind.