Dipna Lim-Prasad qualifies for SEA Games 400m hurdles

SINGAPORE — Team Singapore hurdler Dipna Lim-Prasad qualified for this year’s SEA Games in the women’s 400-metre hurdles on Thursday evening (Feb 23) in Australia.

The 25-year-old clocked 61.21secs at the 2017 Queensland Athletics Championships to win her final in the open category and went below the qualifying time of 61.69s, set by Singapore Athletics based on the third-placed mark at the last SEA Games.

Lim-Prasad, who holds the national record of 59.24s in the event, was competing in hurdles for the first time in over a year since tearing an ankle ligament in December 2015.

Dipna told TODAY that she felt the butterflies in the stomach before her race, as training had not been going smoothly.

"Leading up to the race, I was pretty nervous. I had been pushing down a lot of hurdles during training," she said. "Today's race started out pretty smoothly but I messed up the last bit and lost a lot of speed there.

"Overall I'm happy — more relieved, really — that I've qualified. Now it's just about gaining experience and getting back the feel of hurdles so I'll be ready for the SEA Games."

The full-time athlete set her national mark at the last SEA Games on home soil, where she clinched silver. She has a bronze from the 2013 edition, held in Myanmar.

Lim-Prasad, who left for Australia last Sunday, will compete in the 400m on Friday at the same competition. Her personal best is 55.59s, with the qualifying mark for the SEA Games being 54.26s.