PHNOM PENH – There were no tears this time, only a hug with teammate Elizabeth-Ann Tan before Shanti Pereira strolled coolly to the media mixed zone at the Morodok Techo National Stadium, just minutes after winning her third SEA Games gold.

And what a difference it was from just a year ago, when the sprinter burst into tears after winning the 200m at the Hanoi Games. The video of her in disbelief, saying “Real, right? This is real? Oh my god”, went viral.

If Hanoi was a shock, the victory in Phnom Penh was a mere formality.

…