Jackie smashes Malaysian record for 12th time

Malaysian hammer thrower Jackie Wong Siew Cheer broke the national record for an amazing 12th time since 2013, with a 66.01m throw at the 2018 Malaysia Open Athletics Championship on Sunday.

His previous record was 65.90m, which bagged him a gold medal at the 2017 SEA Games as well as the new Games record.

"I was not looking to break the record at this tournament as I was only focusing on my technique, and maybe that made me calmer to make a good throw," said the 26-year-old Sarawakian.

After failing to shine at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia, last month, he added he would not be able to make such a good throw without the motivation of his coach, Gu Yuen.

"This time I was in better control, unlike in Gold Coast, where I was very nervous. When I returned home (after the Commonwealth Games), the coach and I spent a lot of time assessing and studying the throwing technique. We also looked at it in terms of psychology," he added.

The silver medal went to Kuwait's Al Jawhar Mohamad with a throw of 59.64m, while Negeri Sembilan hammer thrower Sadat Marzuqi Ajisan won the bronze with a throw of 49.10m.