# Joy and despair for Zaidatul in Pretoria# Penang lass
clocks a personal best 11.35s – wind assisted
# G. Shanti’s 24-year-old national record of 11.50s still stands
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By Rizal Abdullah
The celebrations came quick and fast when national sprinter Zaidatul Husniah Zulkifli clocked a personal best 11.35s, at the AGN League Championships in Pretoria, which smashed G. Shanti’s 24-year-old record of 11.50s set in 1993.
However, Zaidatul’s time will remain just a personal best for her as her new time was wind assisted (2.5s) against the permistted 2.0s and below.
Still, it is a heartwarming performance from the Penang lass who is currently in South Africa for training cum competitive as part of this year’s SEA Games which will be hosted by Malaysia in August.
The Rio Olympian’s previous personal best was 11.62 and has vowed to break Shanti’s long-standing record.
Zaidatul’s achievement in Pretoria was achieved at the Bestmed Tuks Stadium which saw South Africa’s Alyssa Conley win the race in 11.34. In the same heat were two other Malaysians – S. Komalam Shelly who clocked 11.65to finish third while Siti Fatimah Mohd was timed at 11.68 for her fourth placing.
“I hope to keep my momentum and prime myself for the SEA Games…hopefully with a new record either here or in Kuala Lumpur,” said Zaidatul in a telephone interview with Astro Arena.
