Hurdler Ang Chen Xiang breaks his own national record en route to 110m gold
A year ago, national hurdler Ang Chen Xiang won his first silver medal at the SEA Games, clocking 13.94sec to finish just 0.16sec in the 110m hurdles behind the Philippines’ Clinton Bautista, who retained his title.
The positions were reversed at the Singapore Open Track and Field Championships on Wednesday as Ang sprang ahead of Bautista to clinch gold at the National Stadium.
Ang set a national record of 13.89sec, shaving 0.01sec off his previous best clocked just three weeks ago in Hong Kong, as Bautista settled for silver in 14.16sec. South Korea’s Kim Dae-hee was third in 14.53sec.
It was the 11th time that Ang had broken the 110m hurdles mark in nine years.
The 29-year-old, a paediatric resident at the National University Hospital, said: “During the race, my focus is on technical execution, even when fatigued. I believe this showed in my strong finish. When I crossed the line, I knew that my race technique was smooth and that I was in personal best territory.”
While Ang may have edged Bautista on Wednesday, the bigger prize lies ahead at the May 5-17 Cambodia Games.
He has never beaten Bautista, who holds the Philippines’ national record of 13.78sec set at the Hanoi Games in 2022, at the SEA Games.
The duo are sometimes separated by only razor-thin margins, but Ang said their relationship is a friendly one. He added: “Some races I win, others he wins, we don’t keep count! There is no rivalry between us, only friendly competition that spurs us to do our best.”
While describing himself as “sharp and ready” ahead of his fifth Games in Cambodia, Ang remained coy about his medal prospects.
He said: “My coach and I always set technique and timing targets rather than medal targets. As a hurdler, you only have control of your own race, and how you execute your technique. Focusing on medals tends to be counter-productive as it may distract you from what you need to do in the race itself.”
Key to Ang’s sublime form – which saw him breaking his national record twice in April – is a six-week training camp in Thailand funded by Singapore Athletics (SA).
Crediting the support from the sporting bodies and his employer, he added: “My NUH paediatrics department granted me two months of no pay leave in advance of the SEA Games.
“SA and Singapore Sports Institute have been very supportive in my training and competition plans, and given me the flexibility of organising the training camp which has definitely allowed me to increase the volume and quality of training.”
To better prepare for his push for SEA Games gold in the 110m hurdles, Ang will be taking part in the 100m sprint for only the sixth time on Friday.
“While I will not be running the 100m at the SEA Games, base speed is a key component of a 110m hurdler. The 100m serves as a good indicator of my base speed and a good mental stimulus to race under pressure,” he said.
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