Shanti Pereira Becomes First Woman to Win Back-to-Back Asian Games 200m Titles

Shanti Pereira has written her name into Asian Games history. On September 27, 2026, at Paloma Mizuho Stadium in Nagoya, Japan, the Singaporean sprinter won the women's 200 metres in a season-best 22.78 seconds, becoming the first woman to win back-to-back Asian Games titles in the event. She first took the crown at the Hangzhou Games, held in 2023.

The final was tight. China's Chen Yujie led into the closing stretch, but Pereira powered past to take gold. Chen finished second in 22.93 seconds and India's Harita Bhadra took bronze in 23.20. It was Pereira's second medal of the Games, after she won silver in the 100 metres earlier in the week.

The 30-year-old arrived in Nagoya as the fastest woman in Asia over 200 metres this season and qualified fastest from the heats on September 26 with 23.10 seconds. Even so, the final came after four earlier races in a few days, and she admitted she was tired. Her mindset carried her through. “Coming into today, I knew it was my day. Nothing or no one was going to stop me from getting it,” Pereira said.

Her journey to this point has not been simple. Pereira has spoken about overcoming anxiety around competition as a young athlete, and she credited her coach Luis Cunha, her family and her fiancé Tan Zong Yang for their support. She is also a four-time Southeast Asian Games champion over 200 metres, and her results have helped put Singapore sprinting on the map.

Back home, the win was celebrated at the highest level, with President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Prime Minister Lawrence Wong among those congratulating her on the historic title defence. For young athletes in Singapore and across Southeast Asia, Pereira's consistency is a powerful example: a champion who kept improving, handled pressure, and delivered when it counted.