Ratu Renang Malaysia – Nurul Huda Abdullah
Legasi Lagenda mengucapkan selamat hari lahir yang ke-50 kepada Ratu Renang Malaysia, Nurul Huda Abdullah!
Nurul Huda Abdullah merupakan antara satu-satunya atlet yang dinobatkan Olahragawati Kebangsaan selama lima tahun berturut-turut, dari 1985 hingga 1989. Ketangkasan beliau di dalam kolam renang bermula sejak kecil lagi.
Ketika berusia 13 tahun pada tahun 1985, Nurul Huda telah memecahkan sembilan rekod renang kebangsaan. Tiga daripadanya merupakan rekod renang lelaki, termasuk 1500m acara gaya bebas. Acara tersebut jarang direnang oleh atlet wanita pada masa itu, apatah lagi dipecahkan rekod.
Semasa kerjaya renang beliau, Nurul Huda sedang belajar dan berlatih di Brisbane, Australia dan mengikuti rutin harian dan diet yang ketat. Beliau akan berlatih sebelum dan selepas waktu persekolahan dan hanya rehat pada pukul 7 malam.
Kemenangan besar pertama Nurul Huda adalah di Sukan SEA Bangkok 1985, di mana beliau bertanding dalam sembilan acara dan memenangi pingat dalam kesemuanya. Digelar sebagai “Ratu Sukan SEA”, beliau memecahkan lima rekod pertandingan dan merangkul 7 pingat emas, 1 perak dan 1 gangsa.
- Emas: 100m/200m/400m/800m gaya bebas, 200m kuak kupu-kupu dan 200m/400m rampai individu
- Perak: 100m kuak kupu-kupu
- Gangsa: 4x100m berganti-ganti gaya bebas
Kemenangan di Sukan SEA menjadikan beliau atlet termuda untuk dianugerahkan Olahragawati Kebangsaan pada 1985, setelah pencalonan pertamanya. Beliau kemudian memenangi anugerah Olahragawati Kebangsaan empat kali lagi dari 1986 hingga 1989.
Pada 1986, beliau menjadi atlet Malaysia pertama untuk memenangi pingat renang di Sukan Asia. Beliau membawa pulang pingat perak dalam acara 400m & 800m gaya bebas dan pingat gangsa dalam acara 200m gaya bebas & 400m rampai individu.
Nurul Huda berlatih dengan skuad renang Olimpik Australia pada 1987 setelah mendapat RM25,000 daripada Majlis Sukan Negara. Mereka berkata bahawa pembiayaan tersebut dianggap sebagai “pelaburan yang hebat” untuk Malaysia.
Pada 1987, Nurul Huda sekali lagi meraih kemenangan yang mengagumkan di Sukan SEA Jakarta termasuk 7 pingat emas (100m/200m/400m/800m gaya bebas, 100m/200m kuak kupu-kupu, 400m rampai individu) dan 1 perak (200m rampai individu). Beliau juga menjulang nama Malaysia apabila dianugerahkan Trofi IOC daripada Jawatankuasa Olimpik Antarabangsa atas segala pencapaiannya pada tahun yang sama.
Nurul Huda membuat penampilan sulung di Sukan Olimpik pada tahun 1988, di mana beliau bertanding dalam tiga acara – 200m, 400m dan 800m gaya bebas. Beliau juga memenangi tiga pingat di Kejohanan Renang Asia 1988, iaitu perak dalam acara 400m & 800m gaya bebas dan gangsa dalam 200m gaya bebas.
Nurul Huda mencapai kutipan pingat terbesar beliau di Sukan SEA KL 1989. Daripada 10 acara, beliau berjaya meraih 8 pingat emas dan 2 pingat perak.
- Emas: 200m/400m/800m gaya bebas, 200m kuak kupu-kupu, 200m kuak lentang, 200m/400m rampai individu, 4×100 rampai berganti-ganti
- Perak: 100m gaya bebas, 100m kuak kupu-kupu
Pada usia hanya 17 tahun, beliau dinobatkan Olahragawati Kebangsaan untuk kali kelima berturut-turut. Segala kejayaan Nurul Huda dalam sukan renang harus menjadi inspirasi kepada generasi akan datang.
(Kredit foto asal: Dunia Sukan)
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Legasi Lagenda wishes a very happy 50th birthday to Malaysia’s Swim Queen, Nurul Huda Abdullah!
Nurul Huda Abdullah is one of the only athletes to have been awarded Sportswoman of the Year for five years consecutively, from 1985 to 1989. Her power and agility in the swimming pool were demonstrated from an early age.
At the age of 13 in 1985, Nurul Huda had broken nine national swimming records. Three of them were men’s records, including the 1500m freestyle that was not commonly swam by women let alone have its record broken.
She studied and trained in Brisbane, Australia under a strict daily routine and diet. She would train before and after her schooling hours and was awarded with rest by 7pm.
Nurul Huda’s first major win was at the 1985 SEA Games, where she competed in nine events and claimed a medal in all of them. Nicknamed “Queen of the Games”, she even broke five SEA Games records in the process of claiming 7 gold, 1 silver and 1 bronze medals.
- Gold: 100m/200m/400m/800m freestyle, 200m butterfly, and 200m/400m medley
- Silver: 100m butterfly
- Bronze: 4×100 freestyle relay
The SEA Games victories led her to become the youngest athlete to be Sportswoman of the Year in 1985 after her first nomination as well. She went on to win the Sportswoman of the Year award four more times from 1986 to 1989.
In 1986, she became the first Malaysian to win a medal for swimming at the Asian Games. She won the silver medal for 400m & 800m freestyle and the bronze medal for 200m freestyle & 400m medley.
Nurul Huda trained with the Australian Olympic swimming squad in 1987 after getting approved to receive RM25,000 from the National Sport Council, who considered it to be an “excellent investment”.
In 1987, she claimed another impressive victory at the Jakarta SEA Games, winning 7 gold medals (100m/200m/400m/800m freestyle, 100m/200m butterfly, 400m medley) and 1 silver (200m medley). She continued to carry Malaysia to the world stage as she was awarded the IOC Trophy from the International Olympic Committee for her achievements that same year.
Nurul Huda made her Olympic Games debut in 1988 where she competed in three events – 200m, 400m and 800m freestyle. She also won three medals at the 1988 Asian Swimming Championships, silver for 400m/800m freestyle and bronze in 200m freestyle.
In 1989, Nurul Huda achieved her biggest medal tally at the KL SEA Games. She competed in a total of 10 events, claiming 8 gold medals and 2 silver.
- Gold: 200m/400m/800m freestyle, 200m butterfly, 200m backstroke, 200m/400m medley, 4×100 medley relay
- Silver: 100m freestyle, 100m butterfly
At only 17 years old, she was awarded her fifth consecutive Sportswoman of the Year award. Her commendable career should be an inspiration for generations to come.
(Original photo credit: Dunia Sukan)
