SEA Games Athletics: Singapore lose 4x100m relay gold to Indonesia by 0.004s in photo finish

Palembang, Tuesday, November 15, 2011 — Singapore ran an outstanding time of 39.91s to win the silver in the men’s 4x100m relay but the quartet of Calvin Kang (1st runner), Amirudin Jamal (2nd), Lee Cheng Wei (3rd), Gary Yeo (4th) will probably feel that they, and not the Indonesians, should be holding the gold in the cold light of day.

When Lee Cheng Wei, who ran an outstanding third leg, handed over the baton, anchor runner Gary Yeo had a significant lead over the Indonesian anchor runner. However, Singapore fans watched in agony as the lead evaporated over the last 100m and the Indonesians eventually beat them by a mere 0.004s.

Singapore officials lodged an appeal but there was no doubt over the photo finish.

“We lost by a hair’s breadth, but after reviewing the photo finish, I’m satisfied that there is no controversy. Indonesia did beat us,” Singapore team manager Loh Chan Pew was quoted as saying by The New Paper (Wed, Nov 16, p.46).

The foursome matched the silver-winning performance at the 2009 Laos South-east Asian (SEA) Games. In that race, Gary Yeo, Elfi Mustapa, Lee Cheng Wei and Amirudin Jamal set the national record of 39.82s which still stands.

The Malaysians won the bronze in 40.41 while the Thais, the traditional relay powerhouses, were fourth in 40.44.

“I thought we had won it,” Gary Yeo said in The New Paper.

The New Paper also quoted Cheng Wei as saying “[W]e are disappointed because it was so close. But there’s nothing to complain about, we went inside 40 seconds and won the silver medal. We can be very proud of ourselves.”

Gary had won the silver in the 100m final last Saturday, November 12th.

Video courtesy of Singapore Athletic Association