Part 2
Written by Amir Rusyaidi Osman
Edited by Emmy Kwan
SEA Games
BREAKDOWN
9 Months Out: HURDLES
100mH/110mH
Published 10 March 2025
Few events in athletics demand the blend of speed, explosiveness, and technical mastery quite like the high hurdles. There is no room for error, no margin for hesitation—one misplaced step, one mistimed hurdle, and the race is gone.
And yet, Kerstin Ong makes it look effortless.
Since 2023, she has dipped under 15 seconds in 17 out of 18 races, a level of consistency that sets her apart in Singapore’s sprint hurdles scene. But she isn’t just steady—she’s relentlessly improving.
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In May 2024, she stormed to a personal best of 14.17s, etching her name as the third-fastest Singaporean woman in history. Her raw speed is catching up to her technical finesse, with her 100m best now at 12.45s—a crucial weapon in any hurdler’s arsenal.
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For years, the 100m hurdles spotlight belonged to Nur Izlyn Zaini, Singapore’s national record holder. But with Izlyn absent from competition since 2022, the baton has officially passed. Kerstin is now the future. And if her trajectory continues, the national record of 13.87s could soon be rewritten.
More importantly, Kerstin isn’t just proving herself on home soil—she’s making her presence felt in Southeast Asia. She ranked 8th in the region in 2024, a sign that she’s edging closer to the SEA Games elite. If her rapid ascent continues, she won’t just be a SEA Games qualifier—she could step onto the podium.
On the men’s side, Ang Chen Xiang is the undisputed king of the hurdles in Singapore.
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A six-time national champion, SEA Games gold medalist, and national record holder (13.83s), he has been the face of Singaporean hurdles for years. But despite his dominance, Chen Xiang isn’t satisfied—he is still chasing faster times, bigger victories, and greater heights.
His pursuit of excellence took him to Europe in 2024, where he trained alongside some of the world’s best hurdlers, refining his technique and sharpening his speed. The results speak for themselves—his season’s best of 13.97s proves that he is still at the top of his game.
As the defending SEA Games champion, Chen Xiang enters 2025 as one of the gold medal favorites. He has already cemented himself as a legend in Singaporean athletics, but now he has the opportunity to do what greats like Wong Fey Wan and Osman Merican did in their heyday—win back-to-back SEA Games golds.
And if history has taught us anything, it’s that Singapore’s Flying Doctor doesn’t just show up—he delivers.
400mH
For the past seven years, Singapore has been missing from the women’s 400m hurdles at the SEA Games. The barriers stood tall, but no one had risen to meet them.
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That could be about to change.
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In 2024, Roxanne Enriquez emerged as a genuine contender, storming to a 1:04.43 at the Singapore Open. That time made her the 5th fastest Singaporean in history over the event. But the most remarkable part?
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She only started hurdling in February 2024.
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Roxanne isn’t just fast—she’s a fast learner. In the space of 2 months in 2024, she has refined her technique, built endurance over the long hurdles, and positioned herself as Singapore’s best hope in the event. And while she may be new to hurdling, she is no stranger to international competition.
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With appearances at the 2023 SEA Games, 2023 Asian Athletics Championships, and 2022 (postponed to 2023) Asian Games as part of the relay squad, Roxanne has already tested herself against top-tier opposition. She knows what it takes to compete at the highest level—and she’s proving that she belongs.
With more race experience and refinements in her hurdling technique, a sub-63-second 400m hurdles is well within reach.
And if she gets there, she could just find herself on the team plane to Thailand at the end of the year.
The 400m hurdles is not an event for the faint of heart. It is an unforgiving blend of speed, endurance, and rhythm. It punishes hesitation, demands absolute precision, and rewards only those who have the grit to push through the final stretch when the legs are burning, the lungs are screaming, and the finish line feels impossibly far away.
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It is an event built for warriors.
And Singapore’s warrior is Calvin Quek.
A SEA Games veteran, national record holder (50.43s), and multiple-time SEA Games medalist, Calvin Quek doesn’t just run the 400m hurdles—he commands it. His rhythm between barriers is effortless, his pacing is meticulous, and when the lactic acid takes hold in the final 100m, when the race turns into a battle of pure will, he thrives.
Few Singaporean athletes have amassed as much international experience as Calvin. From the SEA Games to the Asian Games, from the World University Games to the World Athletics Championships, he has carried the Singapore flag across the globe, stepping onto the track time and time again against world-class competition.
There is no questioning his credentials. No doubting his ability. No debating his place on the team.
At the 2025 SEA Games, this race belongs to him.
WRAPPING UP
Singaporean hurdlers have thrived on the SEA Games stage since the Games’ inception, proving that speed alone isn’t enough—you need precision, composure, and the ability to rise when the stakes are highest.
With Ang Chen Xiang defending his crown, Calvin Quek shooting for gold, and Kerstin Ong closing in on history, Singapore’s hurdles squad is stacked with talent. Throw in Roxanne Enqiruez’s rapid rise in the 400m hurdles into the mix, and the next generation is knocking on the door.
But in hurdles, milliseconds separate the good from the great. Titles aren’t won on reputation—they’re earned through execution, through clearing every barrier without hesitation, through pushing to the finish when everything in your body screams to stop.
The stage is set. The standards are high. The hurdles have never been more unforgiving.
And yet, Singapore’s best is ready to take flight.
* results obtained via Singapore Athletics archives and the respective World Athletics pages
PREDICTED SEA GAMES 2025 TEAM
EVENTS | MALE | FEMALE |
|---|---|---|
110MH/ 100MH | ANG CHEN XIANG | KERSTIN ONG |
400MH | CALVIN QUEK | ROXANNE ENRIQUEZ |