Story by Clement Tan/Red Sports. Photos by Jerald Ang/Red Sports and Rebekah Abbott/Red Sports.
Lim Yu Zhe (NHHS #509) celebrates his first gold. (Photo 1 © Rebekah Abbott/Red Sports)
Bishan Stadium, Monday, 24 April, 2017 — Lim Yu Zhe sat and he sat and he sat, content to let the others set the pace in the C boys 1500-metre race at the 58th National Schools Track and Field Championships. But his agonising 0.06 second loss to Raffles Institution’s Sean Tay in the 3000-metre last week was perhaps still fresh in his mind and he didn’t want to again make his move too late.
“I didn’t expect the race to be so fast,” said Yu Zhe. “When the bell rang for the final lap, I needed to go for it. There’s nothing to lose.”
The Nan Hua High School student knew from Harieharan Durairaj’s win in the 800-metres the Singapore Sports School athlete had a fearsome kick, but he also gained confidence in his own from the narrow loss to Sean. When Harie made his move with 250 meters to go, Yu Zhe decided to follow stealthily as both of them overhauled Hwa Chong Institution’s Aeron Young and then RI’s Chai Jiacheng, who led for most of the race.
And then with 10 to 20 meters to go, Yu Zhe caught Harie to win the gold medal for the first time ever by 0.34 second, eliciting an audible gasp from the spectator stands.
He crossed the finish line with his arms spread wide and roared in delight, enjoying the applause and relieved he has finally timed his move to perfection. His namesis Sean, to whom he also lost at last month’s National Schools Cross Country Championships, only managed to finish sixth this time.
There was none of that drama in the girls race, where Nanyang Girls’ High School’s Wu Shu Han won comfortably in 5 minutes 29.66 seconds. This adds to her earlier win in the 800 metres as she repeated the middle distance double gold from the year before.
C Division Girls 1500 Metres Final, Top Eight
1st Wu Shu Han (#409 Nanyang Girls’ High School) 5:29.66
2nd Claudia Tang (#260 Cedar Girls’ Secondary) 5:32.05
3rd Alyssa Yeong (#67 North Vista Secondary) 5:42.33
4th Tang Ler Shuan (#385 Nan Hua High School) 5:45.24
5th Marion Ang (#44 CHIJ St Nicholas Girls School) 5:46.49
6th Nur Humairah Bte Mohamad Helmi (#61 Evergreen Secondary) 5:48.88
7th Claudia Goh (#237 Cedar Girls’ Secondary) 5:51.00
8th Shania Tay (#167 Mayflower Secondary) 5:53.77
C Division Boys 1500 Metres Final, Top Eight
1st Lim Yu Zhe (#509 Nan Hua High School) 4:39.44
2nd Harieharan S/O Durairaj (#114 Singapore Sports School) 4:39.76
3rd Chai Jiacheng (#229 Raffles Institution) 4:40.95
4th Aeron Young (#462 Hwa Chong Institution) 4:44.74
5th Sean Tay (#254 Raffles Institution) 4:49.49
6th Joshua Khoo (#49 Catholic High School) 4:52.22
7th Arian Zaw (#268 St Joseph’s Institution) 4:52.60
8th Chew Yue Bin (#464 Hwa Chong Institution) 4:53.30
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