KUCHING: Federal Territories' long-distance runner Kristian Tung, who won the men's 10,000 metres at the 2024 Malaysia Games (Sukma) here this morning, credits his sports science studies with enhancing his athletic performance.
The 20-year-old, currently studying Sports Science at Loughborough University in the United Kingdom, said his coursework has provided valuable insights into nutrition and body care, which are crucial for peak performance and injury prevention.
"Sports science study helped me become a better athlete by allowing me to learn about nutrition and also how to take care of the body to perform and prevent injuries.
"I really want to become a national athlete, that has been my dream from a very young age and hopefully I can also break the national record one day," he said when met after his gold-winning feat at the Sarawak Stadium here.
Earlier, Kristian hit the tape with a time of 33 minutes 48.049 seconds, edging out Perak's Muhammad Farooq Muhammad Zubair Kanan (33:56.008s) and Sabah's Nikos Tai Lee Onn (33:56.010s).
This year's SUKMA marks Kristian's debut and final appearance at the Games. He is also set to compete in the 1,500m later today and his preferred event, the 5,000m, on Thursday.-- Bernama.