KUALA LUMPUR: Long-distance runner Kristian Tung broke another national record, this time in the 10km road race at the Rotterdam Big Series 10 on Saturday.
The 21-year-old from the Federal Territories clocked 30 minutes 07 seconds, erasing the mark of 31:01s set by Sanjay Manimaran at the Songkhla Marathon in Thailand last month.
Last month, Kristian smashed the 40-year-old 3,000m national record with a time of 8:15.81s at the British Milers Club meet in the United Kingdom. The previous record was 8:27.00s held by S. Muthiah.
Kristian, who trains under his father, bagged three gold medals at last year’s Sarawak Malaysia Games. He is based in the United Kingdom, where he is pursuing a degree in Sports Science and Mathematics at Loughborough University.
Malaysian Athletics Federation president Datuk Karim Ibrahim said: “Kristian’s time is among the fastest ever recorded by a Malaysian, but for it to be recognised as a national record, we must first obtain the official documents from the organisers.
“So far, the result has already been listed by World Athletics, which shows that his preparations for the Thailand SEA Games are on track.
“With consistent training in the UK, we believe Kristian can spring a surprise at the SEA Games,” he added.
Karim is optimistic that Kristian could also deliver a medal in the 10,000m event at the SEA Games from Dec 9-20.
“If he can maintain his current form, he has a medal chance. We cannot say for certain what colour it will be, especially with the strong challenge expected from Thai runners, but Kristian is clearly on the right path,” added Karim.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
