PETALING JAYA: National athletes Azeem Fahmi and Shereen Samson Vallabouy kept their Paris Olympics dream alive when they qualified for the finals of their respective events at the Kazakhstan Open, scheduled to take place tonight.
According to Bernama, Azeem won the third heat of the men’s 100m with a time of 10.61s, ahead of Turkish sprinter Ertan Okzan (10.72s) and Vitaliy Zems of Kazakhstan (10.84s).
Azeem, who holds the national 100m record with a time of 10.09s, which he set at the LSU Invitational Athletics Championships in Los Angeles on April 27, needs to match the Paris 100m qualifying mark of 10s.
Shereen cruised into the final of the women’s 400m after winning the first heat with a time of 54.16s, easily beating her Kazakhstan rivals.
Shereen, the national women’s 400m record holder at 51.79s, which she set in the US on June 1, needs to clock at least 50.95s to qualify for the Olympics.
The Malaysia Athletics Federation had said Azeem and Shereen are on its list for one wildcard slot to represent Malaysia in Paris if they do not qualify on merit.
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