Story by Iman Hashim/Red Sports. Photos by Les Tan and Chua Kai Yun/Red Sports

b div boys 200m

Joshua Lim of ACS(I) wins gold in 22.35s. (Photo 1 © Les Tan/Red Sports)

Bishan Stadium, Monday, April 25, 2016 — Joshua Lim of Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) clocked 22.35 seconds to claim the B Division Boys’ 200 metres gold at the 57th National Schools Track and Field Championships.

David Tameeris (22.80s) made it a one-two finish for ACS(I), while Ho Jun De of Victoria School finished third in 23.09s.

This was Joshua’s second gold of this year’s championships, after he won the 400m the previous week in a scintillating new national under-17 record of 49.24s.

It was only Joshua’s second National Schools 200m gold, after winning in the C Division two years ago in 23.41s. Last year, he finished third in the B Division in 23.23s.

On his victory, the ACS(I) Secondary Four student said, “I feel fantastic. I feel like the work that my team, my coach (Mr Alfred Sim) and I have put in has come along together well. We’ve been preparing a long time for this. It feels good to be able to be on a platform to glorify God.”

“Before the race, I didn’t think too much about the result in a sense, but instead I was focused more on the attitude in which I raced in – it was a winning attitude – I didn’t think too much about my competitors, I just focused on my own race, doing my best for God and I think that’s truly what God looks for in all that I do,” he added.

Joshua’s winning timing went under his previous personal best of 22.54s, which was clocked in the semi-finals. It is also the seventh fastest time for the boys’ B division in the history of this competition.

He is looking to break the 22-second barrier for the event soon, saying, “I guess there’ll be a lot of working on it, never giving up, never settling, and always striving for the best, and just trusting in God that he will have a perfect plan for me.”

The B Division Boys’ 200m championship record still stands at 21.88s, and has been held by Poh Seng Song, then also of ACS(I), since 1999 – before Joshua was even born.

When asked if he was aiming to break it prior to the final, Joshua broke into a little laugh and continued, “It was actually in my mind, like maybe it would be a good idea if I broke it. But I guess in a sense I just focused on doing my best, and I just left whatever timing, whatever result, to God.”

Joshua will now focus on helping his ACS(I) team do well in the 4x100m and 4x400m relay finals, which will take place on Friday, April 29, at the National Stadium.

B Division Boys’ 200m – Top 8
1st Joshua Lim Yong Loon (#171, Anglo-Chinese School (Independent)) — 22.35 seconds
2nd David Tameeris (#167, Anglo-Chinese School (Independent)) — 22.80
3rd Hoh Jun De (#469, Victoria School) — 23.09
4th Gareth Chia Wae Yearn (#38, Catholic High School) — 23.29
5th Nicholas Koh Ching Hui (#356, Changkat Changi Secondary) — 23.30
6th Mohammad Irfan Qabeel B Md D (#136, Singapore Sports School) — 23.31
7th Ng Zheng Jie Bryan (#555, Hwa Chong Institution) — 23.44
8th Irving Alexander De Boer (#545, Hwa Chong Institution) — 23.46
Wind speed: 0.3 metres per second

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