Malaysia’s Shereen Samson Vallabuoy Breaks Rabia Abdul Salam’s 30-year-old Record in California

Source: Benama

Malaysia’s Shereen Samson Vallabuoy Breaks Rabia Abdul Salam’s 30-year-old Record in California

By: Michelle Liew

Malaysian track star Shereen Samson Vallabouy broke the 30-year-old national 400-meter (m) record when she managed to record 51.80 seconds (s) at the 63rd Annual Mt SAC Relays Athletics Championship, California, USA, early this morning.

At the tournament that took place at the Hilmer Lodge Stadium, Shereen, who represented Winona State University in Minnesota, succeeded in renewing the record held by the late Rabia Abdul Salam, which was 52.56s, set in 1993, in the Philippines.

According to the tournament's website the daughter of former national track runner-up Samson Vallabouy and Josephine Mary finished fifth behind University of Michigan's Ziyah Holman who finished fourth with 51.60s.

In March last year, Shereen stole the spotlight when she managed to break the national 400m indoor record held by Noraseela Mohd Khalid (54.58s) created in 2006 with a time of 53.79s.

She then renewed the record with a record of 53.47s during the Bearson Gathje Classics Championship in Minnesota, last January before again making a surprise at the Lewis Illinois Invitational Athletics Championship, Chicago with a record of 52.87 seconds (s) in February to win the gold medal.

Shereen then continued her best performance when she again grabbed gold at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II Indoor Track and Field Championships in Virginia Beach, Virginia, recording 52.27s last month.

The 25-year-old athlete is one of the country's representatives who will take on the challenge in the Cambodia SEA Games this May for the 400m and 4x400m events.