BANGKOK: A short three-month training stint in Kunming with her former coach Gu Yuan proved a masterstroke for national hammer queen Grace Wong as she delivered Malaysia’s fourth gold medal at the Thailand SEA Games.
The Sarawakian was in record-breaking form.
Her winning throw of 65.41m today (Dec 12) shattered both her own national mark of 63.53 and the SEA Games record of 61.87.
Grace set the Malaysian record at the Malaysia Open in August and the previous SEA Games mark in Phnom Penh in 2023.
This latest triumph is her third straight SEA Games gold, following wins in Hanoi 2021 and Phnom Penh 2023.
She also struck gold on home soil at the Kuala Lumpur Games in 2017.
At the Suphachalasai National Stadium today, Grace broke the SEA Games record three times — opening with 63.83 on her second attempt, lifting it to 65.09 on her third, and sealing it with the winning 65.41 on her fourth.
Thailand’s Mingkamon Koomphon took silver with 60.74, while compatriot Sawitree Kaewasuksri claimed bronze with 56.27.
Grace admitted she had not expected to win.
“Honestly, I only targeted silver because Mingkamon has been in great form,” she said.
“She was ranked No. 1 in the region with throws around 64m. She trained in Japan while I trained in China. During training I could only manage throws around 60m. Today went beyond expectations.”
She said her coach kept the message simple before the competition.
“He told me to throw as usual and that 60 metres would be enough. I did more than that.”
Grace has been without a full-time coach in Malaysia since Gu Yuan returned to China two years ago.
“I had been training on my own. Before this trip, I even paid out of my own pocket to train under him. I am very grateful for the support.”
She thanked Malaysia Athletics president Karim Ibrahim for securing the funding for her China stint.
“It would have been difficult to win gold if I had trained in Malaysia,” she said.
Grace added she was inspired by the Malaysian fans in the stadium.
“I saw so many supporters waving the Jalur Gemilang. It lifted my spirits. I told myself I needed to deliver my best. I didn’t want to disappoint Malaysia.”
Compatriot Nurul Hidayah Lukman finished fifth with a best throw of 52.21m.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
