S'pore's Calvin Quek clocks 50.24sec to rewrite men's 400m hurdles national record in Kyoto victory

Straits Times

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Quek won the men's 400m hurdles race at the ICAAK Athletic Games in Kyoto in 50.24 seconds, breaking his own national record of 50.43sec set at the 2023 World University Games.
SINGAPORE – Days before his men's 400m hurdles race at the ICAAK Athletic Games in Kyoto, Singapore's Calvin Quek faced an unexpected obstacle after his name was inadvertently left out of the start list.
After several days of chasing the organisers for a solution, he was reinstated on Aug 9 for the Aug 12 event at the Takebishi Stadium. But he was allocated the tight Lane 1, which featured sharper curves.
Determined not to let the misfortune distract him, he focused on executing his race plan. It worked a treat as he won in 50.24 seconds to rewrite his own national record of 50.43sec set at the World University Games in 2023.
The result was a breakthrough after a challenging 2024 season, when Quek struggled to match the upward trajectory he had shown in 2022 and 2023.
The 29-year-old said: 'I think 2024 wasn't the best season considering (what happened in 2022 and 2023). There was the expectation that I would continue to improve on that trajectory, but in 2025, I was trying to figure out what was wrong, regroup with my coach, see what else we can do and just work towards it.
'Just being able to break the NR again after two years – (there's) a lot of relief just knowing that I'm still improving – especially in a SEA Games year, it's good momentum.'
In February 2022, Quek enjoyed a promising start to the year by breaking the national record for the first time with a 51.73sec effort at the Singapore Athletics SEA Games trial, before lowering it three months later
to 51.19sec to claim bronze at the SEA Games in Hanoi, the Republic's first medal in the event since 1969.
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He went faster again the following year, clocking 50.75sec to secure another bronze at the regional meet in Phnom Penh.
That year, he also made his World Athletics Championships debut and bettered his national mark once more at the World University Games.
But things slowed down in 2024. His coach Luis Cunha noted that it was not the easiest season to train for, with no major competitions except for the Paris Olympics, which Quek was not involved in.
Cunha said: 'An athlete's journey is like this – the best athletes in the world have ups and downs. Last year, it was a down for him and it was a season where pretty much the only competition was the Olympic Games...
'This year, it looks like he's been running consistently near his personal best, so that's a much better season.'
While last season did not live up to his expectations, Quek, who works in marketing, has gained some new perspective from the setbacks.
He said: 'Sometimes it's somewhat unrealistic to believe that you have great seasons one after another. It was just one of those years that things don't work out but I'm back on track now, so I'm thankful for that.'
One motivating factor for Quek this season has been the possibility of earning a wildcard spot at the Sept 13-21 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, with his appetite whetted after competing at the global meet in 2023.
He said: 'A lot of people would say it's just a wild card, you're not up to the standard. But being the top athlete in Singapore, it's a good recognition of the effort we put in.
'Whoever goes, we should still support them. It'll definitely be a good experience knowing you have the opportunity to run with the best athletes in the world. And it's in Tokyo, it's a fast track, a lot of people will look forward to competing there.'
Another target for Quek is the Dec 9-20 SEA Games in Thailand, where he hopes to be on the podium for the third time in a row.
His latest time is faster than the 50.73sec that won Thailand's Natthaphon Dansungnoen a silver at the last Games in Phnom Penh, behind gold medallist Eric Cray of the Philippines (50.03sec).
He said: 'The SEA Games is the most important competition of the year. I'm definitely trying to at least get on the podium still.
'Competition is going to be very tough, there are a lot of up-and-coming talent from around the region, so right now, it's about trying to stay consistent and healthy all the way till December.'