‘An incredible experience’ at 4th World Championship

CNMI sprinter Zarinae Sapong, who completed her 4th World Athletics Championship last Aug. 20 in the 2023 World Athletics Championship in Budapest, Hungary, describes her participation as an “incredible experience.”

Sapong came into the event with the hopes of beating her personal best of 12.98 seconds in the 100m, but was just a few seconds off and finished at 13.04.

Although she did not break her record this time around, she did achieve a season’s best performance, said the 26-year-old athlete.

“This result serves as motivation to continue working hard, refining my skills, and striving for better results in the future. Looking ahead to the next season, my primary goal is to come out stronger and maintain good health,” said Sapong.

When asked how the competition was, she said, “The electric atmosphere in the stadium added to the excitement. Each time I participate, it’s an opportunity to learn, grow, and challenge myself. This time around the hot weather was definitely a factor to contend with!”

Leading up to the competition, she said it was just a matter of making adjustments to her warm-up routine and making sure to stay hydrated.

Sapong ran with the fastest sprinters in the world she describes the experience as “definitely one of the most amazing competitions I’ve ever been to—being able to witness historic performances from the leading female sprinters was an unforgettable and inspirational experience.”

She thanked her coach, Elias Rangamar, her teammate, and all her supporters who have stood by her throughout her journey.

“Their unwavering encouragement has played a significant role in my growth. A big thank you to the other Oceania athletes who accompanied me and brought on that extra support during the competition,” she said.

She said it is always a source of immense pride for her to represent the CNMI in athletics internationally. “I hope I’ve made the CNMI proud, and I’ll continue to do my best to represent our community in the best way possible. I want to express my deep appreciation to the Northern Marianas Athletics and Oceania Athletics for allowing me this opportunity once more,” said Sapong.

She set her personal best in the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon.

Sapong was also CNMI’s representative in the 2017 and 2019 World Athletics Championships.

She also competed in two World Indoor Championships in 2016 and broke her 60m PR in the 2018 event with a time of 8.54 seconds.