Senior Athletics: Rohit wins javelin gold, Sreeshankar falls short of qualifying mark
Sreeshankar Murali registered his third consecutive 8m jump since making his comeback earlier this year, but it was not enough to secure the direct World Championships qualifying mark of 8.27m.
Rohit Yadav
CHENNAI: Rohit Yadav’s third attempt of 83.65m was enough to set him apart from the field as he claimed the gold medal in the men’s javelin on the final day of the 64th National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships on Sunday.
Sreeshankar Murali registered his third consecutive 8m jump since making his comeback earlier this year, but it was not enough to secure the direct World Championships qualifying mark of 8.27m. His third effort of 8.06m, however, earned him the gold medal. Karnataka’s S Lokesh finished second with 7.71m, while Tamil Nadu’s R Swaminathan took bronze with 7.70m.
Olympic champion and defending world champion Neeraj Chopra has already booked his place in the javelin final in Tokyo next month, and with a second-place finish at the senior meet in Chennai, Uttar Pradesh’s Sachin Yadav has also sealed a spot based on his world ranking.
Sachin revealed he had been suffering from fever over the past few days but was satisfied with his effort on Sunday.
“I’m much better now, my injury concerns are behind me and my body is supporting me completely. I will try to give my best at the World Championships,” he told the media after the final.
A country can field up to three athletes in each discipline at the World Championships. However, since Neeraj qualifies as a wildcard as defending champion, India could field four javelin throwers if Yashvir Singh and Rohit Yadav collect enough ranking points. The direct qualifying standard for the event is 85.50m.
“It would be great if I qualify. I tried to reach 85.50 here because I’ve been in good form. My first two throws carried height but landed straight, so I went flatter with the third and managed 83.65m,” said Rohit.
Sreeshankar wins gold, World Championships spot uncertain
Having suffered a ruptured patellar tendon in April last year, which ruled him out of the Paris Olympics, Sreeshankar underwent surgery and made his return in July. Within less than a month of competition, he has been chasing the 8.27m qualifying mark.
His comeback has been nothing short of remarkable, with three 8m-plus efforts in five meets. Though still shy of the required mark, Sreeshankar remained optimistic, saying the performances would help him improve and prepare for next season, which includes the Commonwealth and Asian Games.
“It was good, I felt I could get it. I wanted this season to be a kick-starter for next season because that is more important,” said Sreeshankar.
He all but conceded that his World Championships hopes were over.
“This season is pretty much done for me. I think I will just miss out. I was chasing something that normally takes a year, in a span of one month and 12 days,” he added
