KUALA LUMPUR: Asian Games bronze medallist Azeem Fahmi clocked a 100m season best of 10.31 seconds to finish third in heat one at the Tiger Track Classic in Alabama, United States, yesterday.
But the time was way off his national record of 10.09 and the Paris Olympics qualifying mark of 10s.
The Perakian is studying at Auburn University in Alabama, and it was a 1-2-3 finish for Azeem and his Auburn teammates in the blue riband event. Favour Ashe ran 9.96 to win the race while Kanyinsola Ajayi clocked 10.14 to finish second.
Azeem was running in his third 100m race this year in a bid to qualify for the Paris Olympics. In the Yellow Jacket Invitational in Atlanta on March 16, he posted 10.38 to finish third. In the Tom Jones Memorial Invitational in Florida on April 13, he clocked a slow 10.44 in the second heat to finish seventh.
National Pelapis coach Amir Izwan said after Azeem ran heat one, the second and third heats were cancelled due to heavy rain.
"Azeem has shown progress in each 100m race he ran. Last month Azeem ran 10.44 because of the fasting month but then he ran 10.38 last week. And yesterday Azeem did 10.31.
"He is slowly but surely getting back to his form and momentum."
Asian Games 400m bronze medallist Shereen Samson Vallabouy competed in the 100m at the Pure Athletics Spring Invitational in Clermont, Florida, yesterday. She clocked 11.87 in the heats to finish overall 16th.