South Sumatra athlete Sri Mayasari clinched gold in the women’s 400-meter race at the National Sports Week (PON) XX in Papua on Tuesday and broke the national record for the category.
Competing at the Mimika Sports Complex, Mayasari emerged as the fastest athlete with a time record of 53.32 seconds, breaking the national record made by Emma Tahapary (54.20 seconds) at the 1984 ASEAN Cup in the Philippines.
In addition to the national record, Mayasari also broke her own PON record of 54.46 seconds achieved at the West Java PON XIX in 2016.
Running in the third lane, Mayasari sprinted to the front position, passing athlete after athlete to secure a victory.
Around 200 meters before the finish line, the 27-year-old athlete managed to get past all her opponents to become the first to reach the finish line.
When contacted after the match, Mayasari expressed her gratefulness over her stunning achievement. She said that she intended to break the national record held by Tahapary from the beginning.
She further said that has been preparing herself for the last year for the Papua PON. She admitted to feeling happy over the fact that her hard work has paid off.
“I felt grateful for this result, but not yet satisfied. I have to be able to record a better time,” she remarked.
Mayasari dedicated her gold medal to everyone who has supported her.
“This is for my coach, my husband, my family, my parents, and all of South Sumatra people,” she said.
Source: Antara News