FLASHBACK: Malaysia’s Mohd Jironi Riduan (in yellow) and Van Thai Duong of Vietnam were declared joint winners of the 1,500m race.
MIDDLE DISTANCE ace Mohd Jironi Riduan and national swimmer Christina Loh were crowned menâs and womenâs Olympian of the Year at the 21st Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM)-Coca Cola Olympian of the Year award, today.
Both winners were selected by the OCM Award Committee after taking into account their two gold medal feat in the recently concluded Myanmar SEA Games, last year.
Mohd Jironi, 28, who has since retireds, won the gold medal in the menâs 800m and 1,500m races while Christina Loh, 19, clinched two gold medals in the 100m and 200m breaststroke.
âThis is my first national award after three SEA Games. I am surprised because many more athletes also did well. My target for this year is to beat my personal record in the 50m breaststroke which is 32.15s and reach the finals in Commonwealth Games and Asian Games,â she said after the award presentation.