Rohit Yadav wins javelin gold with 87.68m at Kalinga Stadium; Abinaya sets U20 100m record
Rohit Yadav won the men's javelin gold with a personal best of 87.68m at the $75,000 World Athletics Continental Tour Silver meet at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar on Saturday. Nineteen-year-old Abinaya Rajarajan clocked 11.34s to take the women's 100m and set a National under-20 record, while Vithya Ramraj claimed the women's 400m in a season's best 51.96.
The meet served as a preparatory phase for next month's Asian Games and produced nine Indian gold medallists. Several pullouts were on expected lines. The competition featured domestic and international entrants across sprints, jumps and throws at the Kalinga Stadium.
Rohit, who had managed 81.56m to finish seventh at the Commonwealth Games, overcame a slip on his second throw and recorded 81.82m in his penultimate attempt. Yashvir Singh posted 82.94m to regain the lead before Rohit improved on his previous best of 87.05m, set at the inter-State meet here in June, with his final effort of 87.68m. His new mark is the fourth-best in the World this season, just behind Neeraj Chopra (88.05m). “I gave it my all in the end. I hope to replicate it in the Asiad,” said Rohit.
Abinaya, who recovered from injuries sustained at the Asian Indoor meet in February, ran in good rhythm to reclaim the National under-20 100m record she had held earlier with 11.54, taking the mark from Nipam (11.53). The 19-year-old said, “I was about to cry towards the end as I knew I was going to break the record,” and thanked her father Rajarajan and coach Sreenivasan Ramaiah.
Other individual winners on the men's side included Tshepo Jason Tyantini (RSA) in the 100m in 10.11, Justice Oratile (Bot) in the 400m in 45.35, Molifi Mohlomi (RSA) in the 800m in 1:47.45 and Harmanjot Singh in the 5000m in 14:11.51. Franco Le Roux (RSA) won the 110m hurdles in 13.47, M. Sreeshankar took the long jump with 8.07m, Aadarsh Ram won the high jump at 2.22m and Chukwuebuka Enekwe (Ngr) topped the shot put at 20.78m.
On the women's side, aside from Abinaya and Vithya, Pooja won the 1500m in 4:17.24 and Diana Wanza (Ken) the 5000m in 15:16.11. Charisma Taylor (Bah) ran 12.96 to win the 100m hurdles, Ancy Sojan led the long jump with 6.71m, Supriya, Manshi and Reet Rathor each cleared 1.75m in the high jump, Andressa De Morais (Bra) won the discus with 58.66 and Jucilene Sales De Lima (Bra) topped the women's javelin at 59.13.
The performances took place amid several expected withdrawals and form part of athletes' build-up to next month's Asian Games, with multiple Indian athletes using the meet to assess readiness ahead of the continental event.