Breaking the 21-Second Barrier
Marc Brian Louis has become the first Singaporean sprinter to run under 21 seconds in the men’s 200m.
Singapore Athletics reported that the 23-year-old stopped the clock at 20.89 seconds (+0.8m/s) during the 2nd Sano Sprint in Japan on Monday, 11 August 2025.
The time surpassed the previous national best of 21.07 seconds, a mark achieved by Reuben Lee at the 2022 SEA Games.
The win in Sano also means Marc now holds all three of Singapore’s men’s sprint national records, the 60m (6.69s), 100m (10.27s), and 200m (20.89s).
A New Focus on the 200m
Marc shared that his breakthrough in the 200m came after he and his coach, Benber Yu, agreed earlier this year to aim for qualifying in both the 100m and 200m events at the SEA Games.
“I only started trying the 200m this year because me and my coach planned to qualify for SEA Games for both the 100m and 200m. I’m super happy that I got the NR. This is good motivation for me towards SEA Games,” he said in a statement released by Singapore Athletics.
Despite his short time focusing on the distance, Marc dominated the race in Japan, further cementing his status as Singapore’s top male sprinter.
Building Towards the SEA Games
Marc, who competed at the 2024 Olympic Games in the men’s 100m and holds multiple youth and senior records, has made his goals for December’s Bangkok SEA Games clear.
“Yes, that’s the plan for this year’s SEA Games — to double in the 100m and 200m,” he said. “The goal is just to have fun and hopefully podium and PBs this SEA Games.”
His latest achievement adds to a season that already saw him reaffirm his sprint dominance.
According to Team Singapore, Marc’s career highlights include winning silver in the 100m at the 2023 SEA Games and breaking the long-standing national 100m record at the 2022 Asian Games.
Other National Records Fall
Marc’s feat was part of a wave of national records for Singapore athletics this month.
In Kyoto, Calvin Quek lowered his own men’s 400m hurdles record to 50.24 seconds at the ICAAK Athletic Games.
In distance running, Shaun Goh set a new men’s 10,000m record at the Queensland Championships, while Vanessa Lee shattered a 30-year-old women’s 10,000m record at the same event.
A Strong Lead-Up to Bangkok 2025
With the Bangkok SEA Games set for December 2025, Team Singapore’s athletes are showing strong form across multiple disciplines.
Their recent record-breaking streak not only boosts confidence but also signals that they could challenge for more medals at the regional meet.
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