As many will know by now, Singaporean marathoner Neo Jie Shi completed a difficult marathon at the Olympic Games under the searing Rio heat yesterday.
This was because as the runners had begun the marathon at 9.30 am (Rio Time) in the morning, it had been already past noon and very warm, when Jie Shi crossed the finishing line.
Singapore’s Neo Jie Shi crosses the finishing line at the Olympics Marathon. [Photo: Toggle Screengrab]
SHE FINISHED IN 131ST POSITION
Jie Shi’s finishing time had been 3 hours 15 minutes and 18 seconds and she had came in 131st position out of the 133 finishers. So 24 runners had failed to complete the race.
The marathoner didn’t manage to run a personal best though. Her best timing is 3 hours 9 minutes and 57 seconds, which had been clocked at the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon this year.
Jie Shi herself had said in an interview with The Straits Times, that while she had been slightly disappointed about not making a personal best, she’d still had a really memorable time at the Olympics, with supporters from all over the world, cheering her on throughout the entire route.
Though she did not win any medals for Singapore by participating in Rio, Jie Shi’s journey from an everyday runner to an Olympian is already a fairy-tale in itself, though.
Jie Shi finished the Olympics Marathon in 131st position.
Having only taken up running during her university days, Jie Shi had never dared to dream that she would represent her country on the Olympic stage. Yet she has become only the second Singaporean marathoner – since Yvonne Danson in 1996 – to do so.
PRESSED ON TO DO HER COUNTRY PROUD
Watching the footage of Jie Shi completing the marathon and running into the stadium, she looked as though she was struggling, due to the thankless Rio heat, yet she still pressed on to continue, in order to do Singapore proud.
In fact, I had almost teared when watching Jie Shi running across the finishing arch, holding her hands high up in victory.
![Despite the challenges, Jie Shi pressed on to do her country proud. [Photo Credit to Pocari Sweat]](https://www.prischew.com/wp-content/uploads/POCARI-SWEAT-Run_Lunar-Dive-Clinic-7.png)
Despite the challenges, Jie Shi pressed on to do her country proud.
[Photo Credit to Pocari Sweat]
RUNNERS ARE PROUD OF JIE SHI
And runners all over Singapore were definitely proud of Jie Shi too, based on the flood of supportive comments that she had been receiving via her Facebook and Instagram social media pages.
Said Syafiq Pendulum via Facebook, “Congrats Jieshi Neo for finishing the marathon in Rio. I’m sure you ran your best. My mum and I watched the whole race all the way.”
Added Ching Leo, also via Facebook, “Well done Jie Shi. You have given your best as an Olympian. Proud of you.”
Runners all over Singapore are proud of Jie Shi.
JIE SHI’S MOTIVATING AND INSPIRING STORY
Jie Shi’s inspiring fairy-tale story from recreational runner to Olympian certainly has the potential to motivate the local running community.
If a self-coached runner like Jie Shi can hold down a full-time office job and make it to the Olympics, then the sky is indeed the limit for everyone out there in terms of realising their potential in running.
Thanks for the article. It was a great race by Jieshi, but certainly one that leaves some questions as well. Why aren’t singaporean runners performing on the big stage. Timothee Yap was way off his personal best of 10.62, Jieshi the same. Conditions are bad, i agree, but it is the same for all athletes. Why are the top runners in the world performing so well under the excuse of hot and humid weather? 2:24:08 was the winning time, a time that is inside even Rameshon’s the men’s marathon record holder, in heat and humidity. It’s also not like Jieshi and Timothee hadn’t been training properly. Jieshi has gotten twice or thrice as more support in terms of sports science, logistics, nutrition, and even a coach to personally oversee her progress and administer advice. Really these are some hard questions to ask. However, I hope the govt can do something about the decrepit state of affairs in our sport of athletics and find out what is wrong with why our athletes simply cannot “bring it” on the big stage…….
Thanks Pris:)