SINGAPORE – About two weeks ago, Victoria Junior College’s (VJC) Faith Ford rewrote the A Division girls’ 3,000m schools record, clocking 10min 41.48sec in the heats to beat Toh Ting Xuan’s 2018 time of 10:46.37.
On Friday, she notched another mark when she retained her 1,500m title in 4:52.41 at the National Stadium. In the process, she lowered the electronic timing record set by Rahmah Begum (4:54.02) in 1999 – before she was born.
She was surprised by her latest feat, saying: “I did not expect this to happen. It would have been a huge stretch for me to reduce my timing (5:07.82) from last year.
“This is especially for shorter distances like the 1,500m race, where it is harder to cut down your time.”
But the 18-year-old was truly ahead of the curve. Leading the pack from the start, she never showed signs of slowing down and led until the finish line. Hwa Chong Institution’s (HCI) Eunice Chin (5:22.43) and Sheryl Tang (5:34.17) finished second and third respectively.
Faith’s coach Tan Yew Hwee was not surprised by her latest achievement.
The 54-year-old said: “Even in training, she frequently comes close to the record timing. She is up there with the better female long distance runners in Singapore.”
Faith had also retained her 3,000m title in 10:42.12 on April 17, four days after setting her record in the heats.
Yet, if not for the Covid-19 pandemic, she might have not taken to the track.
She had started out as a swimmer, but joined her father on his runs when safe management measures forced swimming pools in Singapore to be closed.
“Eventually I got faster than him, he did not run with me any more,” she quipped before adding that he has played a key role in her journey as an athlete.
“(He) always goes out of his way so that I can perform to my best ability,” she said.
Meanwhile, Raffles Institution (RI) won the A and B division boys’ championships.
Teacher in-charge Vincent Quek said: “I am proud that the boys did well in both track and field events.”
RI also swept the A, B and C division boys’ 100m titles, prompting coach Melvin Tan to label it as a “sprint treble”.
He said: “I am glad for the three boys, they rose to the occasion.”
Tate Tan clinched the A division crown in 10.74sec, while Brayden Chan (11:12sec) and Wang Qiyue (11:85sec) claimed the B and C division titles respectively.
Tate, 18, said: “There were two national athletes in my race, but my friends really pushed me to win.”
HCI’s Eleana Goh won the A division girls’ 100m, while Clara Lim of Raffles Girls’ School took the B division title, also in 12.49sec. CHIJ St Nicholas’ Charlotte Teh (13.53sec) won the C division race.
Eleana, who retained her title, said: “I was not able to break my personal best… but I was still able to execute everything and I am glad my efforts paid off.”
