Sign In
By signing in or creating an account, you agree with Associated Broadcasting Company's Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
By signing in or creating an account, you agree with Associated Broadcasting Company's Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
New Delhi: Indian athletes in action at the world athletics championships in Tokyo on Monday failed to qualify for the final rounds in their respective disciplines.
Long jumper Murali Sreeshankar finished 14th in hid qualification group to be placed 25th among 37 competitors. In his third appearance at the high-profile event, Sreeshankar's best jump was 7.78m in three attempts.
Athletes either had to reach the automatic qualifying mark of 8.15m or be among the top 12 slots across the two groups to enter the final round. The 26-year-old's season's best is 8.13m and his personal best is 8.41m, which he achieved in 2023.
Sreeshankar was out on the sidelines with a knee surgery last year and had to miss the Paris Olympics but on his return this year he won five titles in a row but was far from his best in Tokyo.
In the 2022 edition in Eugene, USA, Sreeshankar had qualified for the final round, finishing seventh overall.
National record holder Parul Chaudhary finished ninth while Ankita Dhyani was 11th in their respective heats for the women's 3000m steeplechase.
Parul finished 20th overall while Ankita was rooted at the bottom spot among 35 participants after the three heats.
She clocked a timing of 9 minutes 22.24 seconds, a long way off her national record time of 9 minutes 12.46 seconds and the season best of 9:12.46.
Parul had finished 10th in the 2023 edition of the world championships in Budapest and had qualified for Tokyo after achieving the direct qualification mark of 9:18.00.
But on her return to action after three and half months, she was not at her best. In her last competition before Monday, she had finished second with a time of 9:12.46 at the Asian Championships in Gumi, Korea.
