Latest news with #JamesHillier
BBC News
2 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Dunlop beats Harrison for 30th Isle of Man TT win
Michael Dunlop claimed a record-extending 30th Isle of Man TT victory in a thrilling Supersport rider Dean Harrison led by 2.9 seconds heading onto the final lap as Ducati rider started his charge to the Northern Ireland rider was just outside his own lap record on the third and final lap as he overhauled Harrison to win by 10.229 Hillier was a remarkable third on his Kawasaki for his first TT podium since 2019. Davey Todd, who beat Dunlop to the top step of the podium in a thrilling Superbike race earlier on Monday, was fourth ahead of Josh Brookes. Supersport TT result 1. Michael Dunlop (Ducati) Three laps2. Dean Harrison (Honda) +10.229 seconds3. James Hillier (Kawasaki) +45.0724. Davey Todd (Honda) +17.9925. Josh Brookes (Honda) +10.3846. Rob Hodson (Yamaha) +27.872
United News of India
3 days ago
- Sport
- United News of India
Reliance Foundation athletes shine in Asian Athletics Championships 2025
Mumbai, May 31 (UNI) In a historic run by Indian athletes at the Asian Athletics Championships 2025 held in Gumi, Republic of Korea, athletes supported by Reliance Foundation delivered their best-ever performance, claiming a total of five medals — three golds, one silver, and one bronze — contributing significantly to India's second-place finish overall with 24 medals – the country's best-ever showing at the Championships. Hailing the performance of all the participating athletes, James Hillier, Athletics Director, Reliance Foundation said, "We had 10 of our athletes participating in the competition and Gulveer really stole the show with his double gold (5000m & 10000m). Jyothi also did amazingly well in the hurdles in extremely difficult conditions, kept her composure and defended her title." "In the women's long jump, Ancy Sojan kept her cool by being a brilliant competitor and winning the silver medal with a mature performance. Animesh's bronze medal reflects the investment we have made in sprints and this is the third time this year that he broke the national record, so it was a great performance from him,' Hillier said. 'Overall, it was a massive effort from all our athletes out there and it's heartening to see us win medals across all centres in Mumbai, Bengaluru and Odisha in sprint, hurdles, jumps and long distance,' he added. Leading the charge was long-distance runner Gulveer Singh, who scripted history by clinching double gold in the 5000m and 10000m, including a new championship record of 13:24.77s in the 5000m. Gulveer became the first Indian athlete since 2017 to win both events in the same edition of the Championships. Meanwhile, Jyothi Yarraji, India's ace hurdler and reigning Asian champion, defended her title in the 100m hurdles with a season-best time of 12.96s, breaking the championship record under challenging weather conditions. Ecstatic after his achievement in the Championships, Odisha Reliance Foundation High Performance Centre athlete Animesh Kujur quoted, 'I'm really proud of winning the bronze medal in my first ever major international championship. At the start line, I was in a good mental space and felt confident in my abilities. I kept composure throughout the final race and was pleased to see myself break the national record once again. I think this is just a start and I want to reach greater heights in the near future.' With this five-medal haul, Reliance Foundation athletes not only broke records (two championship records and one national record) but also underlined the Foundation's commitment to nurturing Olympic-level talent through access to world-class facilities across India. The performance in Gumi stands as a proud milestone in the Foundation's journey of empowering young Indian athletes to excel on the global stage. UNI BM
News18
5 days ago
- Sport
- News18
Coach plans technical tweaks for Jyothi to enhance her start phase
Last Updated: New Delhi, May 29 (PTI) Coach James Hillier believes Jyothi Yarraji is 'one of the best in the world" in the final three hurdles, but is now planning to fine-tune her technique to help her attack the first five more aggressively. The 25-year-old, an Asian Games silver medallist, clocked 12.96 seconds — a new championship record — to defend her 100m hurdles title at the Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi, South Korea, on Thursday. Hillier said training adjustments focusing on shorter and longer strides approaching the first hurdle would be introduced to enhance her start phase. 'Now, it's about being more specific with the training we do. So, we'll start doing a lot more work over two or three hurdles. I'll do some work where I'll maybe do some shorter approach work into the first hurdle," he told reporters. 'So, maybe like six-stride work, and then I'll go the other way and do some 10-stride work. So, she gets a feeling then of going over the hurdle even quicker than eight strides because she's got an extra two strides to work on. 'So, these are some of the little subtle things that we can do to get the feeling. The job is all about feeling. So, if I can create training sessions where she's able to get the feeling she wants, once she's done it, once she can repeat it, that's just how she is as an athlete." The Indian athlete will next be seen in action at the Taiwan Athletics Open scheduled for June 7-8. 'So, that's the sort of things that I'll be working on now over the next few weeks. We've got another competition coming up next week in Taiwan, and then we'll head back to India. We'll have a few weeks in India just doing some prep, and then we'll head to Europe." 'So, I think by the time we get to Europe, I'll be pretty confident that she'll be sort of attacking these first five hurdles a bit quicker, and then that'll set everything up even more for the back end of the race. She's always going to be better at the back end of the race." Hillier said the aim is to get Yarraji in touch with the front-runners by the halfway mark so that her strong finish can be more effective. 'That's the sort of athlete she is. But she can be in touch with athletes at hurdle five, hurdle six. I think she's probably one of the best, if not the best hurdler in the world in the last three hurdles. She's absolutely phenomenal. 'But if we can just get her in touch with the real top girls, and hopefully we can get some really good meets now after this, then we can test that out as well. So, yeah, work to do. It's always nice to get a gold medal and still have loads of work to do. So, that's bode well for the next few races." He added that the target during the final was not the qualifying time for the World Championships (12.73s), but simply winning the race. 'No, the world championship mark absolutely wasn't (the target). It wasn't about timing today. It was about positions. It was about racing. the tracks, I think a bit slow as well. It was just about trying to win, that was really the goal." 'She was very much focusing on her own race, but she was trying to win. She showed her experience because when the delays were happening, we could see the other girls were getting a bit frustrated and all the rest of it. And Jyothi just dealt with it really well." Hillier was happy that his ward could clock a sub-13 timing. Advertisement 'It was nice she got under 13 in those conditions. Definitely bodes well to her running, 12.73 and qualifying for world. So yeah, it was a good performance and I think better condition, she would have run probably 12.73 today," he added. Yarraji had suffered a hamstring injury in April after overreaching a hurdle in training, forcing her out for three weeks ahead of the Federation Cup and limiting her preparation time. Hillier said the victory in Gumi was significant, especially since Yarraji is not yet in peak condition. top videos View All 'We've had a funny preparation for this because she had an injury going into Federation Cup … she's definitely not in an absolute peak at the moment. She's hit training PBs, but not sort of race training PBs. So, the speed is there, the strength is there, but the hurdling isn't quite there yet. 'So, I would expect her to push on from this now and the confidence she's got from this is obviously massive. And yeah, we've got a bit of work to do with the eight stride still. So, yeah, it's the rest of the season is going to be very exciting for sure." PTI ATK KHS (This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - PTI) First Published: May 29, 2025, 23:15 IST News agency-feeds Coach plans technical tweaks for Jyothi to enhance her start phase
News18
26-05-2025
- Business
- News18
Ten Reliance Foundation Athletes To Represent India At Asian Athletics Championships In Korea
Last Updated: Reliance Foundation-backed 10 Indian athletes will take part in the 2025 Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi, Korea, a key event before the Asian Games. A stellar contingent of 10 athletes supported by Reliance Foundation is set to represent India at the Asian Athletics Championships 2025, taking place in Gumi, Republic of Korea, from May 27. This continental championship will be a key milestone ahead of the Asian Games next year, offering a critical platform for the region's finest talent to shine. The athletes are part of the Reliance Foundation's high-performance programme aimed at enabling Indian athletes to excel at the global level. From grassroots development to elite performance, Reliance Foundation has remained committed to building a robust sporting ecosystem in India. Speaking ahead of the championships, James Hillier, Athletics Director, Reliance Foundation, said, 'We are incredibly proud of our athletes and their dedication. Their recent performances, including multiple national records, reflect their hard work and the comprehensive support they receive from the Reliance Foundation. The Asian Athletics Championship is a crucial platform, and I am confident that our contingent will showcase their talent and make the nation proud. We've focused not just on physical conditioning but also on mental fortitude, ensuring they are prepared for the intense competition ahead." James expressed excitement about coaching India's national relay team in Mumbai as well, an effort that has led to the breaking of the longest-standing national record in Indian athletics in the 4x100m relay. India's top female hurdler Jyothi Yarraji will compete in two events, the 100m hurdles, where she's the defending champion and the 200m, where she bagged the silver medal in the previous edition in Bangkok in 2023. She has consistently redefined the boundaries of Indian hurdling, holding the national record with a scorching 12.78 seconds, a mark she has matched multiple times. She is the first Indian woman to dip below the 13-second barrier in the 100m hurdles and is the reigning Asian champion in the event, having secured gold at the 2023 Asian Athletics Championships, along with a silver at the 2022 Asian Games. Animesh Kujur has shattered the national record in the men's 200m. His blistering time of 20.4 seconds at the Senior Federation Cup earlier this year not just set a new national benchmark but also established him as the current Asian leader in the event. Animesh from the Odisha Reliance Foundation HPC will also be a vital cog in the men's 4x100m relay team, alongside Manikanta Hoblidhar, Amlan Borgohain and Gurvinder Singh. This dynamic quartet has rewritten the national record books in the 4x100m relay with an impressive 38.69 seconds, showcasing their explosive synergy and readiness to challenge Asia's best. All eyes will be on India's champion long-distance runner Gulveer Singh, a force to be reckoned with in both the 5000m and 10,000m. Gulveer has been on a record-breaking spree, recently setting a new national record in the 10,000m with a time of 27:00.22s, a significant improvement on his previous best. Even more remarkably, he became the first Asian man to break the 13-minute barrier in the 5000m short track, clocking an incredible 12:59.77, also a new national record. His bronze medals at the 2022 Asian Games (10,000m) and 2023 Asian Championships (5000m) are testaments to his consistent performance on the big stage. Twinkle Chaudhary will look to roar in the women's 800m event, picking up momentum from her recent performance at the National Federation Senior Athletics Competition last month, where she not only clocked her personal best but also smashed the Federation Cup record to qualify for the Asian Championships. Seema and Sawan Barwal are other trailblazers set to enthral in the long-distance space, competing in the 10,000m races for women and men, respectively. Long jumper Ancy Sojan takes part in her second Asian Athletics Championships, after she debuted at the 25th edition in 2023. The Reliance Foundation athletes' journey to Gumi embodies the Foundation's vision of fostering a culture of sports and empowering India's youth to achieve their full potential on the global stage. First Published: May 26, 2025, 15:49 IST
The Hindu
23-05-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
EXPLAINED: How precision in the Exchange Zone can power India's sprint relay surge
Nothing unnerves a track coach more than a baton exchange in a sprint relay. You could have the fastest runners at your disposal, but even a slightly flawed handover can spell disaster for a relay team. For Indian sprint coach James Hillier, however, the three 30-metre baton exchange zones on a 100m relay track aren't looming pitfalls. He sees them as fast-moving windows of opportunity — zones that could launch his team into the world's elite. Under his guidance, the Indian men's 4x100m relay team — comprising Gurindervir Singh, Animesh Kujur, Manikanta Hoblidhar and Amlan Borgohain — broke the national record while representing Reliance at the National Relay Carnival in Chandigarh in April. Their time of 38.69 seconds now places them among Asia's best. But to progress further, Hillier and his athletes have little in terms of immediate gains — except how they exploit the baton exchange zone. 'The most critical part of the relay is the speed at which the baton moves through the box. If someone isn't brave coming into the box, the outgoing runner can't push out hard enough. All our changeovers in Chandigarh were very safe — we played it safe because I wanted them to get the record, to make a statement,' said Hillier, Athletics Director at Reliance Foundation, in a conversation with Sportstar. 'What you want is to exchange the baton towards the end of the box. That's the fastest method, because the outgoing runner has been accelerating longer and is moving faster.' Pushing the limits of the exchange zone increases the risk of disqualification, but it's a trade-off Hillier and his team are willing to make. 'We're working on giving the runners the confidence to take the baton in the last 10 metres of the zone. That brings the time down significantly. As the chemistry builds and they improve, I want those exchanges to happen closer to the end of the box.' Simple in theory, complex in execution. Four sprinters, running at full tilt, in a high-pressure environment. Hillier is under no illusions. 'Putting the baton in the hand isn't the issue. The critical thing is timing the run-out. Most relay errors happen because athletes leave too early. They get excited. When you see someone coming in fast, it's intimidating. You fear not getting out fast enough, so you end up going early.' Hillier has adjusted the baton exchange, starting with the outgoing runners' start position. The Indian team no longer uses the three-point start — a crouched stance with two feet and one hand on the track — because Hillier believes it impairs depth perception and causes miscued acceleration. Another key change involves the mark, a tape placed in the exchange zone to cue the outgoing runner's acceleration. 'I have asked them [outgoing runner] not to focus on the chest of the incoming runner, but on his feet. They have to imagine a small circle around that marking tape, and when the incoming runner's foot lands in that circle, that's when they have to set off,' explains Hillier. Under Hillier, India's sprinters have also made strides individually. Four of the six fastest 100m timings by Indian men belong to this quartet. Gurindervir set a new national record of 10.20 seconds in March. Three of the four — Gurindervir, Manikanta, and Animesh — are under 25. Still, expecting any of them to break the 10-second barrier may be unrealistic, given how marginal gains become at the elite level. Yet Hillier believes India can break the 38-second barrier even without a sub-10 runner. 'To estimate a relay time, you add the four individual 100m times and subtract between 2.1 and 3.0 seconds. A 2.4-second differential is good; 3.2 is exceptional. Right now, our team has a 2.4-second differential. In the 2010 national record (38.89), it was 2.81. 'I had predicted 38.62 even with poor exchanges. So, the 38.69 they ran suggests the exchanges weren't great. With excellent exchanges, they could run 37.82. If they matched the exchange efficiency of the 2010 team, they'd be at 38.2.' Apart from striving to meet their coach's standards, the Indian relay team is also chasing history. India's last medal in the men's 4x100m relay at the Asian Athletics Championships came in 1979. To find a medal at the Asian Games itself, you have to go even further back, to 1970. That drought could end soon. The 38.69-second effort would have secured India a podium finish at every Asian Games and AAC over the past decade — and even a gold medal at three of the last seven AACs. Since 2024, only Japan, China, and South Korea have clocked faster relay times among Asian nations. Notably, Japan and China were Olympic finalists in Paris. Still, Hillier (left) isn't interested in burdening his athletes with expectations. 'Of course we want to win a medal. But we can't go in expecting it. In athletics, the moment you start expecting, things often don't go to plan. We need to make it happen. 'The key is to stay focused. We can't let excitement get in the way. We have to get in and out of the exchange box at the right time.' But at the global level, the gap is wider. Indian sprinters would need to trim nearly a second off their collective timing to contend for a medal at the World Championships or the Olympics. Their next big target is the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, but the road is steep. India missed the World Athletics Relays in Guangzhou, which offered 14 of the 16 direct qualification spots for the Worlds. Jamaica, which missed out on qualifying in Guangzhou, is likely to claim one of the two remaining slots through the top season-best list. For India to claim the last spot, it must at least better the Netherlands' season-best of 38.20 seconds. For Hillier, even this ambitious goal feels within reach — because of the progress already made. 'It's been a real challenge to get here — to convince people that Indian sprinters are good enough, that they can compete, and even win medals — not just in Asia but potentially at the world level. 'We've had to swim against the tide, against the idea that India doesn't have the athletes for a sprint relay. That mindset is changing. And that's crucial.'
