85th Singapore Open

The All-Timers of the 85th Singapore Open

 

At the 85th edition of the Singapore Open, it wasn’t just about medals — it was about legacy. And for a wave of Singaporean athletes, legacy meant rewriting the all-time lists.

 

In the women’s 1500m, we witnessed a powerful double act. Vanessa Lee, already Singapore’s national record holder in the steeplechase, 5000m, and road 10k, took her range one step further. With a run of 4:41.82, she moved from 8th to 6th all-time, reaffirming her status as the country’s most versatile long-distance queen. Just behind her, her coach and training partner Nicole Low shaved off more than 11 seconds to post 4:42.44, now 7th all-time — a result that spoke as much to shared grind as it did to individual glory.

 

Over in the sprints, Laavinia Jaiganth, the national U20 record holder in the 400m, smashed through the 25-second barrier in the 200m — a feat accomplished by only eight other Singaporean women in history. Her 24.59s effort catapulted her to 6th all-time, staking her claim as the heir to Singapore’s sprinting throne.

 

Then came the resurgence of Elizabeth-Ann Tan. After a rough 2024, she made her return known, clocking PBs in both the 100m (11.73) and 200m (24.01). She edged ever closer to joining Veronica Shanti Pereira in the elusive sub-24 second club, a feat that would make her only the second Singaporean woman to do so.

 

As if on cue, the women’s 4x100m relay delivered a moment for the ages. The quartet of Kerstin Ong, Elizabeth-Ann Tan, Veronica Shanti Pereira, and Laavinia Jaiganth blasted their way to 44.96s, equalling the national record set in 2017. That record had once belonged to legends like Wendy Enn, Dipna Lim-Prasad, Nur Izlyn Zaini, and a younger Shanti. For this 2025 squad to match it? A baton handoff across generations.

 

Meanwhile, Tia Rozario, national record holder in the triple jump, made strides — literally — in the long jump, extending her PB by 5cm to 5.95m. That mark places her 2nd all-time and is the furthest jump by a Singaporean in the past 15 years, second only to Eugenia Tan’s 6.18m.

 

High jumper Amelia Goh, fresh off her first A Division high jump title, leapt into history with a 1.69m PB. That jump not only made her the 3rd best Singaporean of all time, behind Michelle Sng and Yu Long Nyu, but also handed Sng her first local loss to a fellow Singaporean in years. The U18 national record of 1.72m — held by Sng herself — now looks within striking distance.

 

In the pole vault, Esther Tay continued her steady ascent — literally and figuratively. After clearing 3.42m and 3.43m in earlier meets, she soared to 3.50m at the Singapore Open, tying her for 3rd all-time in Singapore’s record books. Not far behind her was Ashlee Ong, this year’s NSG champion and Schools record holder, who pushed her own best to 3.45m, now tied for 5th all-time.

 

The men’s high hurdles delivered one of the most defining moments of the meet. Ang Chen Xiang, the standard bearer of Singaporean hurdling, lowered his national record from 13.81 to 13.80, continuing his astonishing late-career surge.

 

Two lap ace Thiruben Thana Rajan took another big bite out of the 800m, running 1:51.28 to solidify his status as the 3rd fastest Singaporean ever. With that, he inched closer to the sub-1:51 mark and reaffirmed his position as the best 800m runner of the 21st century.

 

And in the men’s horizontal jumps, Andrew Medina proved that his 7.45m wind-aided leap in Perth was no fluke. At the Singapore Open, with zero wind, he landed at 7.47m, tying with Conrad Emery for 2nd all-time. From 6th to 2nd, he’s showing that consistency and conditions can coexist.

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The Almosts, the Firsts, and the Now-Or-Nevers

 

Not every breakthrough makes the record books. But at the Singapore Open, some performances carried weight of a different kind — quiet triumphs that hinted at bigger things to come.

 

Kerstin Ong didn’t leave with a new PB, but she left with something rarer: rhythm. Matching her PB of 14.17s in the 100m hurdles, she has now clocked her five fastest times in the last two months — 14.17, 14.22, 14.23, 14.41, 14.45. When an athlete starts stringing together times like that, it’s no longer a phase. It’s a peak.

 

In the 400m, both Benedette Leong (59.34) and Audrey Koh (59.41) dipped under the 60-second barrier for the first time — a milestone only a handful of Singaporean women have reached in recent years. For Benedette, it’s even more remarkable: this is her first season racing the 400m. She didn’t just arrive. She declared herself.

 

The men’s 1500m delivered one of the weekend’s most bittersweet breakthroughs. Oliver Lim ran 3:59.39 — cracking the sub-4 barrier for the first time, but missing the SEA Games standard by just 0.03s. A blink too slow. Yet a clear statement that he belongs in the regional conversation. Adarsh Aravinth, following closely, clocked 4:05.50, his fastest time ever, continuing a quiet but undeniable rise.

 

In the 800m, Jayden Tan ran 1:54.64 (his second fastest ever), while Oliver Lim doubled back with a PB of 1:54.72 — proving he’s not just a miler. The race was won by Thiruben, but the supporting cast showed Singapore’s middle-distance depth is growing.

 

The 5000m final saw Shaun Goh run 15:05.32, his second-fastest performance ever. But what stood out was the depth behind him — eight other Singaporeans under 16 minutes: Keane Ko, Ahmad Arif Ibrahim, Adarsh Aravinth, Pranav Shreedhar, Kang Meng Heng, Emerson Koo, Najib Mooiz, and Siva Sanker. It wasn’t just a fast race. It was a gathering storm.

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Eyes on Bangkok and Beyond

 

As the dust settled on a blistering two days of action, one question lingered: who’s ready to wear the flag?

 

Some answered emphatically.

 

Thiruben Thana Rajan, with his 1:51.28, became the first Singaporean to hit the Asian Championships qualifying mark in the 800m this year. From long shot to legitimate contender, his ascent is nearing its peak.

 

Elizabeth-Ann Tan met the SEA Games standard in the 100m, and now sits within 2% of the Asian Championships standard in both the 100m and 200m. She’s also close to qualifying for the SEA Games in the 200m — a comeback season that’s gaining real consequence.

 

Though Oliver Lim missed the SEA Games mark in the 1500m by a breath, his 3:59.39 keeps him within 2% — crucial territory for selectors. He’s close. Dangerously close.

 

And in the long jump, Tia Rozario’s 5.95m puts her within 2% of the SEA Games qualifying mark. Already a national record holder in the triple jump, she now stands poised to make a Games appearance in two events.

 

There were no team announcements. No spotlights. But across two ordinary weekdays — a Thursday and Friday in late April — under the roof of the National Stadium, a few names edged a little closer to Bangkok. A little closer to Asia. A little closer to becoming the next generation of Singapore’s athletic story.