Story by Iman Hashim/Red Sports. Photos by Rebekah Abbott and Benedict Yeo/Red Sports.

Marcus Tan (AIS #18) finishes in first place with a time of 52.64s. (Photo 1 © Benedict Yeo/Red Sports)

Bishan Stadium, Thursday, April 20, 2016 — Marcus Tan of Ahmad Ibrahim Secondary clinched the B Division boys’ 400 metres gold at the 58th National Schools Track and Field Championships, clocking 52.64 seconds.

Samel Sahil Chetan of Singapore Sports School finished second in 53.10, while Tan Zhi Hao of Hwa Chong Institution finished third in 53.65s.

“I was nervous, at first I thought that I could not make it into the top three,” Marcus said. “But I told myself not to be nervous and just followed what my coach taught me, like how to maintain my pace, and then pushing all the way to the end in the last 100m.”

Marcus’ timing is a personal best, lowering his previous mark of 53.53s clocked in the semi-finals.

Marcus admitted that he was not expecting gold.

He said, “I knew there were other competitors around the same timing as me, so it’s really hard to know who would end up first, second or third.”

Marcus said he considered Samel Sahil Chetan and Gan Eng Seng Secondary’s Lim Chan Peng to be his main rivals.

“They started really fast,” he said. “So I told myself to try not to chase after them, otherwise I would slow down at the end. I just maintained my pace, and in the last 100m if I see them then I would just push all the way.”

Marcus also ran in the 800m the day after, finishing 12th in 2:11.67.

B Division Boys’ 400m – Top 8
1st Marcus Tan (#18, Ahmad Ibrahim Secondary) – 52.64 seconds
2nd Samel Sahil Chetan (#137, Singapore Sports School) – 53.10
3rd Tan Zhi Hao (#553, Hwa Chong Institution) – 53.65
4th Lim Chan Peng (#215, Gan Eng Seng Secondary) – 53.90
5th Muhammad Danial B Zailanee (#436, Tanjong Katong Secondary) – 54.17
6th Woo Qi Rui (#391, Dunman High School) – 54.71
7th Jonathan Andrew (#99, North Vista Secondary) – 54.90
8th Lucas Lim (#127, Singapore Sports School) – 56.14

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