Back in July of 1987 Singapore hosted the 7th Asian Track and Field Meeting and attracted enough talent to set a multitude of all-comers records. These records still stand in 19 different track and field events.
The Asian Grand Prix comes to the island nation on Tuesday (21 June) and despite taking place in late afternoon when heat and humidity are at their peak, if results from the first leg of the series in Sidoarja, Indonesia on Saturday are any indication, a number of Singapore all-comer’s records (ACR) will be challenged if not beaten.
Athletes from China, India, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Lebanon will be among the most prominent for the three and a half hour meet taking place at the Choa Chu Kang Stadium. Sixteen international events, plus two local 4 x 100m relay races, will be staged.
In all but two of the events – the men’s High Jump and women’s Shot Put – there are entries with personal bests superior to the Singapore all-comer’s record. Most notably, all seven entries in the men’s Javelin Throw and six of seven in the men’s 800 metres own PBs better than the standing Singapore ACR.
“The Asian Grand Prix will be the premier athletics meet [in Singapore] this year following last year’s Enzer Asian All-Stars,” said Eric Song, Singapore Amateur Athletic Association director-general.
One of the featured male competitors will be high hurdler Wu Youjia, the current Chinese indoor champion at the 60 meter hurdles, who ran 13.55 on Saturday. Second and third finishers, Rohollan Asgari (13.89) and Suphan Wongsriphuck (14.02), were also under the Singapore ACR of 14.04.
Likewise in both of the men’s throwing events all three Sidoarja medalists put up numbers topping the standing best on Singapore soil. Navpreet Singh of India led in the Shot Put (19.60) and Li Rongxiang (77.62) in the Javelin Throw.
If Song Aimin can come anywhere near her discus throw on Saturday, she will crush the Singapore record. The 27-year-old Chinese threw a lifetime best of 65.23 meters, a massive seven meters further than the current record of 58.08.
The women’s shot will feature two of Singapore’s foremost athletes, Zhang Guirong (national record holder at 18.37 meters) and Du Xianhui. “Zhang and Du will have a good opportunity here to prove themselves against Asia’s top talent,” said Eric Song.
Zhang in fact is coming off a narrow two-centimeters victory on Saturday, putting the shot 17.35. “I was not that satisfied because the shot put I used felt smaller than usual,” she said. “I spent most of the first half of this year training in China and I’m hoping to bring my throwing to another level, but I don’t have any specific distance in mind.”
The Asian Grand Prix in Singapore is the second of three stops during the latter half of June, with the finale in Bangkok on June 24.
There is a total prize purse of US$ 57,600 for each meeting, with the top three in each event earning $2,500, $700 and $400 respectively.
Marty Post for the IAAF
Singapore All-Comers Records:
Men
100m – 10.41, Talal Mansoor (QAT), 1987
400m – 45.77, Mohd Amer Al Malki (OMN), 1987
800m – 1:47.3, Crispen Mutakanyi (ZIM), 1998
110h – 14.04, Yang Guang (CHN), 1987
High jump – 2.30, Geoff Parsons (GBR), 1990
Long jump – 8.00, Kim Won Jin (KOR), 1987
Shot put – 18.32, Ma Yongfeng (CHN), 1987
Javelin – 72.22, Kim Ki Hun (KOR), 1991
Women
100m – 11.43, Lydia De Vegas (PHI), 1987
400m – 52.17, Foy Williams (PHI), 1998
1500m – 4:14.9, Ann Cross (AUS), 1990
400h – 56.48, P.T. Usha (IND), 2000
High jump – 1.92, Chris Stanton (AUS) 1986; Ni Xiuling (CHN), 1987
Long jump – 6.70, Wang Zhihui (CHN), 1987
Shot put – 18.74, Li Xiaoyun (CHN), 1991
Discus – 58.08, Xing Ailan (CHN), 1987
