Latest news with #DiamondLeagues
The Hindu
29-05-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
Jyothi, Sable and women's 4x400m quartet make it a golden day for India
Some of the country's biggest medal hopes duly delivered on the big stage as India added six medals to its tally including three gold on day three of the Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi, South Korea, on Thursday. Jyothi Yarraji, struggling with injuries, a change in running technique and an indifferent year so far produced her best performance of the season to successfully defend her title in the 100m hurdles with a new championship record of 12.96 seconds, although it was slower than the 12.73s she had targeted for automatic World Championships qualification. This was also her first sub-13 run of the season, finishing ahead of Asian Games bronze medallist Yumi Tanaka of Japan and China's Wu Yanni. It was a productive outing for India and redemption time for the athletes on a day that saw the evening session delayed by more than two hours due to torrential rains and thunderstorms for the second day running. The conditions, however, did little to halt India's medal charge with Avinash Sable improving on his bronze from the 2023 edition to win the 3000m steeplechase and the Indian women's 4x400m relay team scorching the track for the country's fifth gold in the competition. Sable, in his third international outing this year after the Diamond Leagues, clocked 8:20.92 for a season's best to finish more than three seconds ahead of Japan's Yutaro Niinae, who had led for a large part of the race till the final lap. Sable also became the third Indian to win multiple medals in the event and the first gold in 36 years after Deena Ram in 1989. The quartet of Rupal, Subha Venkatesan, Jisna Mathew and Kunja Rajitha saw the Indian women come from behind to outrun Sri Lanka and Vietnam for gold in 3:34.18 with Subha playing the perfect anchor for the second day running. The 25-year old, third at the final bend, took off with powerful strides on the final straight to add to her and India's bronze from the 2023 edition. The men's 4x400m relay team, however, had to settle for silver in 3:03.67 after a slow start from Jay Kumar and while Dharamveer Choudhary and T.S. Manu tried to increase the pace, it took tremendous effort from T.K. Vishal on the final lap to push China to third spot. On the field, Ancy Sojan and Shaili Singh completed a 2-3 in the long jump with a best of 6.33m and 6.30m respectively, behind Iran's Mobini Arani Rehaneh (6.40m). Earlier in the day, Sanjivani Jadhav clocked a season's best of 33:08.17 to finish fifth in the rescheduled 10,000m while Seema was placed sixth in 33:08.23. Agasara Nandini was leading in heptathlon with 3610 points in four events at the end of the opening day. Samardeep Singh Gill, however, could only manage a best throw of 19.25m to finish sixth in shot put —Tajinderpal Singh Toor was excluded from the squad due to poor form — and Sarvesh Kushare placed fifth in high jump with a best of 2.19m. Seema finished fourth in discus throw with 56.15m.
Irish Independent
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Sarah Healy smashes personal best to take third at Diamond League
She came home behind two Olympic medallists, with Kenya's Beatrice Chebet taking victory in 8:11.56, the second fastest time in history, and Italy's Nadia Battocletti outkicking Healy for second in 8:26.27. Healy's time took over three seconds off her previous best and is behind only Sonia O'Sullivan's national record of 8:21.64 on the Irish all-time list. 'Third place in a Diamond League is not something that's easy to come by,' said Healy, who sliced through the field as the race progressed. 'I raced it really well. It was a little messy at the beginning but I fought back really well and reeled in a lot of girls by myself. More than the physical thing, you need confidence to do that.' Healy has been in superb form all year, taking European Indoor gold over 3000m in March and finishing sixth in the world indoor final over the same distance. 'I'll go home after this to see my family quickly, then go back to Manchester to train then I have the Rome and Paris Diamond Leagues coming up in the 1500m,' she said. Fellow Dubliner Cathal Doyle made his Diamond League debut in Rabat and the Paris Olympian fared well, opening his season with an eighth-place finish in 3:33.32, just outside his PB of 3:33.15. 'It was very scrappy for the first 800 and to run that fast in my first race out, I'm chuffed with that, I'll take it,' said Doyle. 'It's going well, we don't need to change anything now – just keep going.' The Clonliffe Harrier was proud to have made the step up to the top tier of the professional circuit. 'This time last year I was just trying to get into a bronze meet in Brussels and now I'm in the Diamond League,' said Doyle. 'You can't really ask for much more than that.'
The Hindu
17-05-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
With 90m monkey off his back, Neeraj Chopra says aiming to throw farther now
Relieved, happy but a touch disappointed too, Indian javelin throw star Neeraj Chopra said now that he is done breaching the 90m mark, he would be striving to go farther as his body is more or less free of the niggles that plagued him in the past few years. The 27-year-old two-time Olympic-medallist sent his spear to 90.23m in the Diamond League season-opener here on Friday but finished second overall after Germany's Julian Weber took the top spot with a 91.06m effort in his final throw. 'I am very happy with the 90m mark but it's a little bit of a bittersweet experience actually. But never mind, I and my coach [the legendary Jan Zelezny] are still working on some aspects of my throw. 'We started working together only in February this year. I am still learning things,' Chopra said after the event. Zelezny, who holds the world record for the longest throw (98.48m), doesn't normally attend Diamond Leagues but the Czech came with Chopra last night because he felt 'today is the day to achieve 90m'. 'I was always feeling something in my groin in the last few years. I did not give my best because of that. This year I feel much better, we will also work on some aspects and so I believe I can throw more than 90m in the upcoming events this year till the World Championships,' Chopra said. The Haryana-lad will enter the September 13 to 21 world championship in Tokyo as the defending gold-medallist in his event. The throw here would do a world of good to his confidence. It was his third attempt of the night and one that made him only the third Asian and 25th overall to cross the coveted mark, that was eluding him for the last five years. The Zelezny effect on him would be hard to ignore. He was roped in as Chopra's coach in November last year but they started working together only in February this year. 'I am very happy that Jan Zelezny is my coach and we worked very hard in South Africa. We are still working on some aspects,' he said. Asked about his next goal, Chopra offered a cheeky response. 'My next goal remains 90m,' he said. On a more serious note, the affable superstar said he is confident of bettering what was a career-best effort last night. 'I believe I am ready to throw farther. It's just the beginning of a long season,' he said. Dwelling on what made the landmark throw possible on a windy night, Chopra said the conditions worked in his favour. 'When I was having warm-up throws my coach said, 'today is the day when I can throw 90m'. After my 90m throw also, he told me I can throw 2-3m farther,' he said. 'The wind helps for sure and the weather is a little warm and that helps. It's the first competition of the year, so everyone came with a fresh mindset after a long time and had the hunger inside for the throwing part (sic),' he added. As always, Chopra exhibited exemplary grace despite his disappointment at missing the top spot. He applauded Weber for his performance and said they help each other push the boundaries. 'I also told Julian [Weber] that we can throw 90m. I am also happy for him. We have tried very hard for 90m for so many years, and so we are happy. 'It's like a good push between us and in the next competition we will push each other again and will throw farther,' he said. But Chopra did rue the fact that he has finished second whenever he has breached the national record. 'It had happened earlier also. When I threw an NR with over 89m in Turku, I finished second (sic). In Stockholm DL, when I threw 89.94m, I was second again, so also here,' Chopra said. Weber happy for Neeraj Weber, on his part, said he did not do anything extra but had a feeling that he can breach the 90m mark here. It was Weber's first 90m-plus effort as well, and he became the 26th javelin thrower to breach the coveted mark. His effort was the world leading mark this season so far. 'I did not know how it happened. I had a very good massage thanks to my physiotherapist. It was fun today. Neeraj threw his first 90m plus and I went past the mark in my last throw and that was just perfect. 'I was very happy for him. We have been fighting for the 90m throw for a long time and we both achieved that today. So, it was very special for us.' Two-time world champion and Paris Olympics bronze-medallist Anderson Peters of Grenada was third with his opening throw of 84.65m.
Indian Express
17-05-2025
- Sport
- Indian Express
Neeraj Chopra breaches 90m mark: 'This is just the beginning, can throw much further'
Moments after he breached the 90m mark, world champion Neeraj Chopra said 'this is just the beginning' and his coach Jan Zelezny felt he could have thrown '2-3 metres more' on Friday night. Chopra finished second in the Doha leg of the Diamond League, throwing a distance of 90.23m. He became only the 25th athlete to throw 90m or more and set a national record in the process. However, the two-time Olympic and world champion was pipped to the post by Germany's Julian Weber, who threw 91.06m to finish first. Like Neeraj, it was Weber's first 90m-plus throw as well. Speaking after his event, Neeraj said it was a 'bittersweet' feeling to throw more than 90m and finish second. 'But you know, it (has) happened with me (before) also. When I broke the national record in Turku (in 2022) with over 89 meters and also in Stockholm (when) I threw 89.94 (also 2022). I was always second. And also here, I broke the national record and came second,' Neeraj said. Neeraj said he felt confident of managing a big throw mainly because the groin injury, which was holding him back, had healed. The groin pain affected Neeraj's throwing technique and did not allow him to explore his full range, the thrower had said. Fit again, Neeraj said he felt better than before. 'I feel much better than in the last few years because I always felt something in my groin. And (because of) that, I could not give my best. So now I feel this year I can throw much further. It's just the beginning.' Neeraj added Zelezny, with whom he's been working since February, predicted before the competition that he would cross 90m on Friday. 'I'm very happy that Jan was here to support me. Normally, he does not come to Diamond Leagues. But he told me that today is the day. And after 90m, he told me that today you can throw 2-3 more meters. But I'm happy with the 90.' Chopra said he and Weber pushed each other, and he was 'happy' for the German, who too entered the exclusive club of 90-plus throwers. 'We tried very hard for so many years. So finally we broke 90 meters. I told him that today is the day, that we can both cross the 90m mark. So I'm also happy for him,' Neeraj said. 'And it was just the first competition of the year. It's a good push for us. In the next competition, we will push each other and throw farther.'
The Hindu
25-04-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
Dalilah Muhammad welcomes the advent of Grand Slam Track
The Grand Slam Track, a professional track and field league, intends to boost the profile of the sport. The event, the brainchild of former sprinter Michael Johnson, offers prize money substantially greater than what athletes receive in the Diamond League. TCS 10K Bengaluru International Event Ambassador and two-time Olympic gold medallist Dalilah Muhammad welcomed the advent of the Grand Slam Track, stating that athletes are justified in pursuing financial stability. 'It is really beneficial. Athletes should be compensated for what they do. There are very few athletes who are truly making a living just from running alone, and being able to sustain themselves over time. 'Some athletes can only make money from meets such as the Diamond Leagues. So it is extremely important that events like the Grand Slam Track give athletes more opportunities. We do have the Diamond League, but that is not enough and we need more,' Dalilah said in a media interaction here on Thursday. Dalilah had a breakout year in 2019, when the American broke the 400m women's hurdles World record at the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships with a time of 52.20s. A couple of years later, Dalilah and Sydney McLaughlin went head-to-head in a dramatic showdown at the Tokyo Olympics. Both Dalilah and Sydney went under the World record, but it was the former who claimed gold. Lauds Neeraj's feat At Tokyo, Dalilah witnessed Neeraj Chopra clinch the men's javelin and become the first Indian athlete to win an athletics gold medal. 'That was amazing. I remember watching Neeraj in Tokyo, and that was actually my first experience watching him compete. It was honestly phenomenal, and you got to see what it meant for the country, the community and the people,' Dalilah said.
