ATHLETICS: Nadia, The Next Jumps Queen

IT would not be an exaggeration to say that Noor Shahidatun Nadia Zuki is destined to succeed Ngiew Sin Mei as the next national jumps queen.

Kedah’s Noor Shahidatun Nadia Zuki wins the Malaysian Schools Championships Under-18 triple jump gold with a meet record of 12.36m yesterday. Pic by Amran Hamid

This talented 16-year-old athlete from Kedah is on the verge of becoming just the third Malaysian woman to soar past the 13-metre mark in the triple jump.

Nadia, who burst onto the scene two years ago when she won the Asean Schools Games long jump gold at the age of 14, set a personal best of 12.99m at the FT All-Comers meet earlier this year.

But ever the perfectionist, Nadia was far from happy yesterday despite winning the Malaysian Schools Championships Under-18 triple jump gold with a meet record of 12.36m at the Utama Stadium in Kangar.

She left the field struggling to keep up with teammate Nur Izzati Akmal Nazrulazdin a distant second on 11.47m.

"I can't be happy with that.

"I came here wanting to clear 13 metres for the first time.

"But I fouled out so many times because I could not get my take-off right," said Nadia, who managed just two legal jumps but still erased Mary J. Nakaran's 2003 record of 12.24m.

"This is the first time I failed with my last three attempts. That has never happened before and I was unable to improve on my distance because of that."

It means Nadia, who was a double gold medallist in Ipoh last year but at Under-15 level, is still waiting to join Sin Mei, who holds the national record of 13.74m, and Noor Amira Nafiah in the exclusive 13-metre club.

But Nadia, who has qualified for the World Junior Championship in July, hopes to redeem herself in her pet event, the long jump, tomorrow.

"I still have the long jump to come and that is my favourite event.

"Hopefully, I can improve on my personal best in that event," said Nadia, whose best of 6.11m is only 13 centimetres short of Sin Mei's national record.

As for the World Junior Championships, Nadia is uncertain whether she will be going to Barcelona as the event clashes with the Malaysia Games in Kuantan.

"I don't know yet if I am going. Even if I miss it this time, there will be other opportunities in the future," added Nadia.

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