Asian Games: Five Indian debutants to watch out for at Hangzhou
Postponed by a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Asian Games has been a stepping stone for many young athletes to announce their arrival in the big league.
It was another bad day for Indian athletes as hurdler Jyothi Yarraji and middle-distance runner Krishan Kumar crashed out of the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary on Tuesday.
Jyothi finished seventh in her 100m hurdles heat and could not progress to the semi-finals while Krisha Kumar, competing in the 800m heats also finished 7th in his heat.
Jyothi who became the Asian champion in July, timed 13.05 seconds to finish seventh in her race and 29th in the field of 43. Only 24 progressed to the semi-finals. The timing of the last qualifier for the semi-finals in women’s 100m hurdles was 12.92s.
The 23-year-old Indian won a bronze medal at the World University Games earlier this month with a national record timing of 12.78s. Tokyo 2020 silver medalist Kendra Harrison of the USA topped the heats with a new world-leading time of 12.24s.
Krishan Kumar, the 25-year-old Asian championships silver medalist timed d 1:50.36 to finish seventh in his heat and 53rd overall among 60 finishers. His personal best is 1:45.88, achieved at the Asian Championships last month.
A total of 24 runners progressed to the semi-finals. The timing of the last qualifier for the semi-finals in 800m heats was 1:47.97 while Kenya’s Emmanuel Wanyonyi, who won Paris Diamond League in June, topped the heats in 1:44.92.
Earlier, Steeplechaser Avinash Sable, triple jump national record holder Praveen Chithravel, Commonwealth Games gold medalist triple jumper Eldhose Paul and Abdulla Aboobacker, an Asian champion in triple jump, were some of the high profile Indian athletes who could not progress past their qualifying rounds.
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