Latest news with #WorldAthleticsChampionships
India Gazette
2 hours ago
- Sport
- India Gazette
Indian sprinters win Silver at Asian Championships, secure spot at 2025 World Athletics Championship
Gumi [South Korea], May 31 (ANI): India's women's 4x100m relay team delivered a strong performance at the 2025 Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi, South Korea, clinching a silver medal with a timing of 43.86 seconds. The team--comprising Srabani Nanda, Abhinaya Rajarajan, SS Sneha, and Nithya Gandhe--finished second behind China, who took gold with 43.28 seconds. Thailand secured bronze in 44.26 seconds, as per a press release from the Athletics Federation of India (AFI). The result not only brought India a podium finish at the continental level but also secured the relay team's qualification for the World Athletics Championships to be held in Tokyo next year. Among the four sprinters, Sneha's selection and performance hold particular significance for HRDS INDIA SPORTS ACADEMY, which she represents. Her contribution to the medal-winning relay marks the first-ever international medal for the academy, which focuses on identifying and training talent from tribal and underprivileged communities across India. 'This silver medal is not just an individual milestone--it represents the success of a system that believes in talent, discipline, and opportunity,' said the founder secretary of HRDS INDIA. 'We are proud of Sneha and the entire Indian relay team. Their performance in Gumi shows that Indian athletics is moving in the right direction.' The academy has been actively working to build a robust grassroots system to support athletes from marginalised backgrounds, with a long-term vision of contributing to India's Olympic prospects for 2036. Sneha's qualification for the World Championships is seen as validation of that approach. As the athletes prepare for the global stage in Tokyo, the success in Gumi is expected to inspire a new generation of young Indian sprinters. For HRDS INDIA, the medal also reinforces its broader mission: to equip athletes with the training, support, and environment needed to compete at the highest levels of sport. (ANI)
The 42
a day ago
- Sport
- The 42
Mark English breaks his own 800m national record in Poland
MARK ENGLISH HAS broken his own Irish 800m record while winning at the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meet in Poland. The Donegal star clocked 1:44.34 for victory in Bydgoszcz, securing automatic qualification for the World Athletics Championships in the process. English finished ahead of Croatia's Marino Bloudek (1:44.74) and Filip Ostrowski of Poland (1:44.96), who both ran personal bests in a highly-competitive race. Advertisement English's previous national record was 1:44.53, set in Madrid last June. 💥𝐍𝐄𝐖 𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐎𝐑𝐃💥 Mark English breaks his own Irish 800m record to take the win at the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meet in Bydgoszcz, Poland 🙌 ⏱️1:44.34🔥 ℹ️Full result: *Record subject to ratification#IrishAthletics — Athletics Ireland (@irishathletics) May 30, 2025 This evening's performance follows on from a hugely impressive win in Los Angeles last weekend, where the 32-year-old posted 1:44.75. The now five-time European medallist has had a superb 2025 to date, with his European Indoor bronze in March seeing him trail only Sonia O'Sullivan in Ireland's all-time medal tally at major championships. Elsewhere at the same meet in Bydgoszcz, Cathal Doyle finished third the men's 1500m. The Dubliner clocked 3:34.67, earning coveted ranking points to improve his chances for qualification for the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo in September. Jodie McCann, meanwhile, was eighth in the women's 1500m in 4:09.78.
The Star
a day ago
- Sport
- The Star
Hezekiel Sepeng, Athletics SA, backs Akani Simbine, local talent to medal at World Athletics Championships
Athletics South Africa's Head of Performance, Hezekiel Sepeng, is optimistic about the nation's chances in the upcoming World Athletics Championships and next Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028. The 50-year-old Sepeng, who claimed silver at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics in the men's 800m, said ASA was now working better with its athletes and it was beginning to show on the track. Led by Akani Simbine, the SA men's 4x100m relay team claimed silver at the Paris Olympics last year. That relay team saw the world take notice of the young stars coming up in SA sprinting with Bayanda Walaza, Bradley Nkoana, and Shaun Maswanganyi forming the four-man team. Walaza (19), Nkoana (20), and Maswanganyi (24) will certainly be around for the next Olympics, and Simbine at 31 is still setting the standards of SA sprinting on the global stage in 2025. "The athletes are doing very well. If you go back a few years, if you compare it to now, we're sitting with athletes now that are, come 2028, they will be possible medallists. We are one step ahead of the other countries. But it's only a matter of planning because the main goal here is the September World Champs in Tokyo. But overall, the athletes are doing very well, and I think we are in the right space when it comes to the performance of the athletes," Sepeng told "The relationship between the athletes and the federation is in the right space. We listen to the athletes, and they share their goals with us. We needed to blend together. We need to get to that level where we are definitely confident for medals at the World Champs or the Olympics in 2028.' Simbine has the fastest 100m time in the world this year so far, with his 9.90 seconds he clocked in Gaborone, Botswana, on April 12. The 31-year-old Simbine is also unbeaten in five races now, following his victory in the Diamond League in Rabat on Sunday. His time in Rabat of 9.95 was well ahead of Kenyan Ferdinand Omanyala (10.05) in second and Fred Kerley (10.07) in third. Meanwhile, Walaza, having turned 19 in February, and despite his ungainly running style, he just keeps producing faster times. On Saturday, Walaza clocked 9.94 at the Boris Hankezovic Memorial meeting in Zagreb. It's yet another SA junior record, and he tied the fourth fastest time ever run by a South African. It's also the third fastest time in the world this year. Sepeng said the success of the men's relay team has been inspirational. "If you look at 2016, where we had Caster, Luvo Manyonga and Wayde, they were medallists at the Olympic Games and World Champs. After them, it faded. We introduced the relays because we thought that we could fast-track some of the athletes who cannot make the qualifying standards," said Sepeng. "We thought, let's put them in the relay, they can still go to World Champs in the relays and that kind of motivated them. I think one of the things that really motivated them was the four-by-one relays at the Olympic Games with the two young stars." @Michael_Sherman IOL Sport
IOL News
a day ago
- Sport
- IOL News
Hezekiel Sepeng, Athletics SA, backs Akani Simbine, local talent to medal at World Athletics Championships
VOTE OF CONFIDENCE Athletics South Africa's Head of Performance Hezekiel Sepeng, is confident in their stars like Akani Simbine (centre) and Bayanda Walaza to secure medals at the upcoming World Athletics Championships and the 2028 Olympics. Picture: AFP Walaza (19), Nkoana (20), and Maswanganyi (24) will certainly be around for the next Olympics, and Simbine at 31 is still setting the standards of SA sprinting on the global stage in 2025. Led by Akani Simbine , the SA men's 4x100m relay team claimed silver at the Paris Olympics last year. That relay team saw the world take notice of the young stars coming up in SA sprinting with Bayanda Walaza , Bradley Nkoana, and Shaun Maswanganyi forming the four-man team. The 50-year-old Sepeng, who claimed silver at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics in the men's 800m, said ASA was now working better with its athletes and it was beginning to show on the track. Athletics South Africa's Head of Performance, Hezekiel Sepeng , is optimistic about the nation's chances in the upcoming World Athletics Championships and next Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028. South African Athletes Poised for 2028 Olympic Success, Says Sepeng "The athletes are doing very well. If you go back a few years, if you compare it to now, we're sitting with athletes now that are, come 2028, they will be possible medallists. We are one step ahead of the other countries. But it's only a matter of planning because the main goal here is the September World Champs in Tokyo. But overall, the athletes are doing very well, and I think we are in the right space when it comes to the performance of the athletes," Sepeng told "The relationship between the athletes and the federation is in the right space. We listen to the athletes, and they share their goals with us. We needed to blend together. We need to get to that level where we are definitely confident for medals at the World Champs or the Olympics in 2028.' Simbine has the fastest 100m time in the world this year so far, with his 9.90 seconds he clocked in Gaborone, Botswana, on April 12. The 31-year-old Simbine is also unbeaten in five races now, following his victory in the Diamond League in Rabat on Sunday. His time in Rabat of 9.95 was well ahead of Kenyan Ferdinand Omanyala (10.05) in second and Fred Kerley (10.07) in third. Meanwhile, Walaza, having turned 19 in February, and despite his ungainly running style, he just keeps producing faster times. On Saturday, Walaza clocked 9.94 at the Boris Hankezovic Memorial meeting in Zagreb. It's yet another SA junior record, and he tied the fourth fastest time ever run by a South African. It's also the third fastest time in the world this year. Sepeng said the success of the men's relay team has been inspirational. "If you look at 2016, where we had Caster, Luvo Manyonga and Wayde, they were medallists at the Olympic Games and World Champs. After them, it faded. We introduced the relays because we thought that we could fast-track some of the athletes who cannot make the qualifying standards," said Sepeng. "We thought, let's put them in the relay, they can still go to World Champs in the relays and that kind of motivated them. I think one of the things that really motivated them was the four-by-one relays at the Olympic Games with the two young stars." @Michael_Sherman IOL Sport
New Indian Express
2 days ago
- Sport
- New Indian Express
Gold rush for India on a rainy Day 3 of Asian meet
CHENNAI: CLINCHING gold seemed to be the goal for Indian athletes at the Asian Athletics Championship and the delay in proceedings due to heavy rain in Gumi didn't deter them either. Day Three of the Asian meet will remain as a good memory for hurdler Jyoti Yarraji, steeplechaser Avinash Sable and the women's 4x400m relay team after they won gold in their events on Thursday. With five gold, six silver and three bronze medals, India are back on the top-two of the overall medal table. Coming in as the defending champion, women hurdler and national record holder Jyoti Yarraji did not want to lose her coveted spot. Her eight-stepped run to the first hurdle seemed slow. But she progressively gained pace amidst the close battle between China's Wu Yanni and Japan's Yumi Tanaka. Yarraji plunged towards the finish line leaving her competitors behind just after the final hurdle. The 25-year old couldn't have expected more. This run of 12.96s, a championship record, has boosted her confidence leading up to the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo later this year. Yarraji felt that she could match her personal best of 12.78s on Thursday. However, the cold conditions late at night in Gumi made it difficult. "I had a good start, I focused on getting my timing below 13s, and I am elated to defend my gold medal," she told this daily from Gumi. Her gains after every hurdle was key in her burst in pace after the final hurdle. "The frequency after the first hurdle helped me build pace," she added. The level of competition in this edition, Jyoti felt has improved from the previous edition where she won gold with a timing of 13.09s. "The run happened as per my visualisation and I'm thankful it had come out perfectly," Jyoti signed off.
