Comeback Reuben Wins

2019 Singapore Open Track and Field Championships

He sprung out of his blocks from Lane 7 and charged ahead. However, with 90m to go, the 17-year-old sprinter found himself trailing behind three others in the Men’s 200m Final. Refusing to settle for last, Reuben Rainer Lee Siong En came from behind, creeping up to his rivals and ending the race in a photo finish between the fastest three at the 81st Singapore Open Track and Field Championships on 28 March 2019.

Reuben, a Year 1 student-athlete in Singapore Sports School’s customised Diploma in Business Studies programme and the only teen in the Final, was declared the champion in 21.64s – a mere 0.01s separating each of the top three sprinters. Bruneian Muhammad Noor Firdaus Ar-Rasyid Haji Mohamad Idris Kei Takase of Japan completed the podium. Reuben’s winning time is just 0.03s shy of his National Under 18 Record which he had set several weeks earlier in March 2019.

Alumna Tia Louise Rozario also showed good form on the first of the two-day meet that ended on 29 March. She leapt to a new National Record of 12.16m in the fourth of six attempts at the Triple Jump, breaking on the previous mark of 12.05m by fellow alumna Wendy Enn set at the same meet a year ago. She delivered consistent performances, bettering the preceding record in three jumps – 12.15m, 12.06m and 12.16m in her second, third and fourth jumps.

Alumnae Kerstin Ong Jing Rong and Veronica Shanti Pereira were also individual medallists at the meet, while Kugapriya d/o Chandran contributed to two medals for Singapore in the relay.

RESULTS

Men’s 200m

1st – Reuben Rainer Lee Siong En

Women’s 200m

2nd – Veronica Shanti Pereira

Women’s 100m Hurdles

3rd – Kerstin Ong Jing Rong

Women’s Triple Jump

2nd – Tia Louise Rozario

New National Record (12.16m)

Women’s 4x100m Relay

2nd – Kugapriya d/o Chandran, Veronica Shanti Pereira, Clara Goh, Haanee Hamkah

Mixed 4x100m Relay

1st – Kugapriya d/o Chandran, Veronica Shanti Pereira, Timothee Yap, Tan Zong Yang

New National Record (43.39s)