By Les Tan/Red Sports

national pri track and field championships

Vanessa Low on her way to setting a new record of 12.99s in the B-Girls 80m Hurdles. Vanessa also broke a 24-year Long Jump B-Girls record with a leap of 4.67m. (Photo 1 © Les Tan/Red Sports)

Bishan Stadium, Tuesday, April 12, 2011 — Vanessa Low of Nanyang Primary was the outstanding athlete of the 52nd National Inter-Primary Track and Field Championships 2011 when she broke two records and won four gold medals to win the Joe David Challenge Trophy.

The trophy is given to athletes who win the most individual golds, break the most individual records or break the longest standing records.

Vanessa, 12, broke the 24-year-old B-Girls Long Jump record by 17cm when she jumped 4.67m. Liu Ruili of CHIJ Primary (Toa Payoh) set the previous record of 4.50m way back in 1987. Vanessa had previously jumped 4.32m in practise.

“I could not believe that I could break two National Records. It is just fantastic and unbelievable. More importantly, I would like to take this opportunity to specially thank my Track and Field and Gymnastics coaches for the last four years in Nanyang,” said Vanessa.

Vanessa also set a new record in the 80m hurdles with a time of 12.99 seconds in the heats, before winning the gold in the final with a time of 13.01s. She had previously run a time of 13.51s at the Singapore Sports School invitational meet on March 12th.

The height of the hurdles in the 80m race was lowered in 2010* by 8cm to 68cm and Darylene Tay of Gongshang Primary ran 14.41s to win the gold last year. In 2008, Jannah Wong of CHIJ (Katong) Primary set the record of 13.53s for the old height. The hurdle heights were lowered across all primary divisions in 2010.

This is the third straight year that Vanessa has secured the 80m Hurdles gold, having won the D and C golds in 2009 and 2010 respectively. Vanessa’s other golds at this year’s championships came in the 4x300m (3:15.42s) and 4x100m (54.48s) relays.

“Vanessa has been trained closely with her coach Mr Lim Tiang Quee and Teacher-In-Charge, Mr Lim Chee Beng, in Nanyang Primary School since last year,” said her father, Mr Aylwin Low. “Indeed, my wife Kai Eng and I are equally excited about her new records for Long Jump and Hurdles Events. Passion, good training and support are essential elements for her achievements for these two technical events.”

Vanessa also has an older brother, Lemuel Low, competing in the Long and Triple Jump for Raffles Institution in the secondary track and field championships. He won a bronze in the Long Jump.

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