A Div 800m: Clara Poon of RI wins gold in 2:35.63

Clara Poon (#48, green) sprinting for the finish while Ong Yan Chun (#161) of HCI pursues her. Clara finished 1st in 2:35.63 while Yan Chun was 2nd in 2:36.28. (Photo 1 © Les Tan/Red Sports)

Choa Chu Kang Stadium, Tuesday, April 10, 2012 — Clara Poon of Raffles Institution (RI) won the A Division 800m final in a time of two minutes 35.63 seconds at the 53rd National Track and Field Championships.

The championship record is 2:18.93 and it was set by Rahmah Begum, then of Jurong Junior College, in 1999.

Ong Yan Chun of Hwa Chong Institution was second in 2:37.16 while Janielle Lim, also of RI, was third in 2:37.16.

Deborah Goh of HCI took the early lead heading but it was her teammate Yan Chun who eased into the front with Esther Koh of Anglo-Chinese Junior College following her in second as the pack started their second and final lap.

Clara, running seventh at that point, started to move up from mid-pack while her teammate Janielle Lim looking like she stepped out of bounds as the pack rounded the first bend.

Yan Chun still had the lead with 300m to go but by then Janielle and Clara were closing her down. Janielle moved past Yan Chun with about 200m to go with Clara also easing past Yan Chun. It was now a three-person race as Janielle continued to hold onto the lead into the final bend.

With 60m to go, Clara sprinted past Janielle with Yan Chun doing the same. There was no catching Clara though as the former Cedar Girls’ athlete finished first in 2:35.63.

Results
1st Clara Poon Jia Xin (Raffles Institution) — 02:35.63
2nd Ong Yan Chun (Hwa Chong Institution) — 02:36.28
3rd Janielle Lim Yan Han (Raffles Institution) — 02:37.16
4th Yeo Xin Yi (Hwa Chong Institution) — 02:38.51
5th Deborah Goh Fann Lyn (Hwa Chong Institution) — 02:39.44
6th Koh Yi Qi Esther (Anglo-Chinese Junior College) — 02:40.81
7th Shamini D/O Kantha Kumar (Yishun Junior College) — 02:41.81
8th Chong Janice (Serangoon Junior College) — 02:42.69
9th Sim Yi Shien (National Junior College) — 02:42.80
10th Ho Yee Tin Theodora (Victoria Junior College) — 02:44.95
11th Tan Xin Hui Blossom (Victoria Junior College) — 02:47.20
12th Ng Song Hui Ruth (Anglo-Chinese Junior College) — 02:47.30
13th Janine Quek Ziquan (Anglo-Chinese Junior College) — 02:52.87
14th Priyadarshini D/O Nagarajah (Victoria Junior College) — 02:54.89
15th Genevieve Anne Kieseker (NUS High) — 02:59.08
Toh Shi Ting (Serangoon Junior College) — WDL
Tan Wan Xin (Raffles Institution) — WDL