He has done the 100m in 10.39sec four times in recent months. Shave off 0.03sec, and he would become the youngest sprinter to set a new national mark in the event.
Last Saturday, 21-year-old Singaporean Marc Brian Louis went close.
The full-time athlete produced a spectacular run to win gold at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo. He again timed 10.39sec at the Nagase Cup, on a day when two other Singapore athletes went under 11sec.
Marc and his teammates are in Japan to train with the Waseda University track team in preparation for the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, from Sept 23 to Oct 8.
If the sprinter – whose father Gilbert Louis is Tamil – cracks it in Hangzhou, he would better C. Kunalan, who was two weeks shy of 26 when he clocked 10.38sec at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico – a time that stood as the national record for 33 years.
Marc would also go past U.K. Shyam, the man who holds the current mark of 10.37sec – set in 2001 – a few weeks after turning 25.
“I hope I can get the national record soon,” Marc told tabla!.
“I’m working towards that. It is just 0.02sec away, it can happen any time.”
His coach Benber Yu, a 42-year-old Filipino and former Philippine university-level 800m champion, is also positive.
“Marc is doing very well in training, he has improved tremendously in recent years, but we are not rushing,” said Yu.
“Whether he breaks the 100m mark at the Asian Games or not, it is okay either way. Marc still has plenty of time on his hands.”
Marc was a hurdler making only a temporary switch to sprinting. In fact, his pet event is still the hurdles, which he has been specialising in since he joined his cousin – “just for fun” – in athletics as a co-curricular activity at Sembawang Primary School.
“To do well in the 100m, you need speed and Marc has plenty of that,” said Yu.
“Marc trains consistently, has the right attitude and is a hard-working boy. It’s his hard work that is taking him far.”
Marc’s talent was apparent early on. He won silver at the National School Games (NSG) for three straight years.
That earned him a spot at the Singapore Sports School. But he left the school a year later.
Yu, who has been training Marc since the sprinter was only eight years old, saw his potential and persuaded the boy to return to the track and train harder.
In turning around from a low point, Marc was also encouraged by his father Gilbert, a 54-year-old lifeguard; Filipino mother Gielie, a 53-year-old nurse; and brother Frank, a 25-year-old IT specialist.
The support from his family and coach, and the many hours of training resulted in Marc claiming back-to-back B Division NSG titles when he was in Anderson Secondary School.
In 2019, he won the 400m hurdles final at the Asian Youth Championships in Hong Kong, becoming Singapore’s first and only gold medallist at the meet.
Coach Yu said that was a pivotal moment for Marc’s charge. “He became more mature, everything changed. How he trains, rests and takes care of himself, what he eats, he has really been giving his best since.”
In Hong Kong, Marc also clocked 13.74sec in the 110m hurdles to set a new national U-18 record.
In 2021, while competing at the World Athletics U-20 Championships in Nairobi, he set a new national U-20 record for the 110m hurdles at 13.77sec despite finishing 11th.
In the same year, he broke the national U-20 record for the 100m with 10.39sec.
But Marc is focusing on the 100m sprint, making quick progress as he won bronze at the Hanoi SEA Games in 2022 and silver at the Phnom Penh SEA Games in May this year.
Marc also timed 10.39sec in the semi-final of the Asian Championships in Bangkok in July.
“I hope to win the gold at the 2025 SEA Games,” said Marc.
“I have two more years and I’m working hard towards it. I’m trying to balance National Service duties and track life, training as much as possible for whatever competition I’m going for.”
Marc trains at least six times a week with his Cicada athletics team.
“He is doing extra training for the Asian Games. The good thing is his Cicada teammates are pushing him hard,” said Yu.
“Marc has a good start and his acceleration is excellent. His weakness is speed endurance. He often finishes well off the pace in races. We are working to improve his finish.”
Marc currently ranks among the top 10 Asian sprinters, with Japan’s Abdul Hakim Sani Brown on top with 9.97sec, followed by compatriots Hiroki Yanagita (10.02sec) and Yoshihide Kiryu (10.03sec).
“My first aim is to make it to the final, then we will take it from there,” said Marc.
“If the weather conditions are good, I might really do well.
“I always visualise myself winning a race. I am confident I will clock my personal best in Hangzhou.”
