Elena Goh Ends Malaysia's 18-Year Wait for Gold In Women's 10,000m Walk

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 24 (Bernama) -- Elena Goh Ling Yin (picture) ended Malaysia’s 18-year wait for the SEA Games 10,000 walk gold medal on Wednesday. Elena, 21, clocked 52 minutes 21.50 seconds to be the winner of the event in the Kuala Lumpur SEA Games at the National Stadium, Bukit Jalil. Thi Bich Ha of Vietnam won the silver in 52.27.78 s while the bronze went to Thailand’s T. Assawawongcharoen (53.17.10s). Yuan Yu Fang last won the gold for Malaysia at the Brunei Games in 1999. She also set a new Games Record of 42.22.05s which has lasted till Wednesday. Yuan also made a comeback this time but had to pull out after four minutes of the start due to an injury. Elina, 21, when met by reporters afterwards, said she did not expect to win the gold as she was up against rivals of two years ago (at the Singapore edition). She dedicated the medal to her family for their tireless support. "They are the source of my strength. Some (of my family members) took leave to come all the way from Melaka to give me moral support,” said the Universiti Malaya sports management studies major. After not having won any medal in the 20km walk in her SEA Games debut in Singapore in 2015, she said that she was on “cloud nine” on winning the gold and more so on home soil. She finished in fourth place despite knee injuries in Singapore. She was supposed to make her debut in the Myanmar Games in 2013, but had to shelve her plans as she had to sit for the important Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM, the Malaysian Certificate of Education) examination then, when she was a student of the Bukit Jalil Sports School. Her personal best is 51: 42.42s which she set last April in the Malaysian Closed Athletics Championship at the Royal Malaysian Navy Stadium, Lumut. (photoBERNAMA) -- BERNAMA