Hima wins fourth gold in 15 days, Anas also wins top spot

PTI, Jul 18, 2019, 9:44 AM IST

New Delhi: Star Indian sprinter Hima Das clinched her fourth gold of the fortnight as she won the 200m race with a creditable time in the Tabor Athletics Meet in Czech Republic here Wednesday.

Hima won in 23.25 seconds though the race had a mediocre field with most of the competitors representing clubs of Czech Republic. Nonetheless, she is inching closer to her personal best of 23.10,

Hima’s compatriot V K Vismaya was second with a season best 23.43.

This was 19-year-old Hima’s fourth gold since July 2 when she ran her first competitive race in Europe. She has been keeping on improving since her first race.

In her first competitive 200m race of the year, the old Assam runner had clocked 23.65 seconds on her way to gold at the Poznan Athletics Grand Prix in Poland on July 2. After that, she won her second 200m gold at the Kutno Athletics Meet, also in Poland, on July 7 with a time of 23.97 seconds.

On July 13, she won her third 200m gold at the Kladno Athletics Meet in Czech Republic with a time of 23.43.

Hima’s pet event is 400m and she is yet to qualify for the World Championships in both the quartermile event and the 200m.

The World Championships qualifying time for 200m is 23.02 while it is 51.80 in 400m.

In men’s 400m, Muhammad Anas won in 45.40 seconds in a mediocre field while compatriots Tom Noah Nirmal came second with a season best effort of 46.59. K S Jeevan was third in 46.60 and M P Jabir finished fourth in 47.16.

On July 13 at Kladno, Anas had bettered his own 400m national record to clinch a gold and qualify for the World Championships by clocking 45.21 seconds.

The World Championships qualification time is 45.30 seconds in men’s 400m race.