KUALA LUMPUR – Zaidatul Husniah Zulkifli’s 100-metre national record of 11.49 seconds, achieved at the Perlis Open Athletics Championships last October, has officially been ratified by World Athletics (WA).
The Malaysian Athletics Federation (MAF) confirmed the development through a Facebook post, stating, “World Athletics has ratified the gold medal Zaidatul Husniah won by clocking 11.49s in Perlis.”
A check on WA’s website also verified the claim.
Zaidatul’s feat erased the long-standing national record of 11.50 seconds set by G. Shanti in Kuala Lumpur on May 7, 1993, just months before Zaidatul’s birth on August 20 that same year.
However, the record faced delays in recognition due to documentation issues related to wind readings.
Initially, MAF technical director Robert Ballard had assured the matter would be resolved by early January.
This is not the first time Zaidatul’s achievements have faced setbacks. In 2017, her remarkable 11.36-second sprint at the AGN League 7 Athletics Championship in South Africa was disqualified due to wind assistance exceeding permissible limits.
Known affectionately as “Adeq,” the 31-year-old sprinter’s determination and resilience have now paid off as her place in Malaysia’s athletics history is finally cemented. — January 17, 2025