Parul takes sensational 5000m gold, Annu emerges on top in Javelin throw; India win 6 medals in athletics

PTI, Oct 3, 2023, 6:44 PM IST

Parul Chaudhary 9Source: Media_SAI / X)

Hangzhou: Parul Chaudhary pulled off a heist for a sensational women’s 5000m gold while Annu Rani conjured up her season-best performance to claim the top prize in women’s javelin throw as Indian athletes bagged six medals from track and field at the Asian Games, here on Tuesday.

The 28-year-old Parul was behind Japan’s Ririka Hironaka in the closing stage but stunned her rival with a stunning dash in the final 40 metres to claim the yellow metal with a timing of 15:14.75. The stunning performance earned Parul her second medal in Hangzhou after claiming a silver in the women’s 3000m Steeplechase on Monday.

Kazakhtan’s Caroline Chepkoech Kipkirui won the bronze clocking 15:23.12. The 31-year-old Annu, who hails from Meerut, produced a season-best effort of 62.92m in her fourth attempt to win gold. Sri Lankan Nadeesha Dilhan and China’s Huihui Lyu claimed the silver and bronze with efforts of 61.57 and 61.29 respectively.

Mohammed Afsal Pulikkalakath and Praveen Chitharavel also made India proud, securing a silver and bronze in men’s 800m and triple jump with efforts of 1:48.43s and 16.68m respectively.

Tejaswin Shankar secured a silver in men’s decathlon with a national record of 7666 points, following a fourth-place finish in the 1500m — the final event of the physically-demanding competition. It was India’s first men’s decathlon medal since 1974. Vijay Singh Chauhan was the last Indian to win a decathlon medal in Asian Games in 1974, while the national record belonged to Bharatinder Singh (7,658 points).

Vithya Ramraj, 25, came up with a timing of 55.68s to claim a bronze medal in women’s 400m hurdles.

It wasn’t her best show but it was good enough to secure a third-place finish.

Bahrain’s Oluwakemi Mujidat Adekoya produced a Games record of 54.45s and Jaidie Mo of China came up with a season-best of 55.01 to claim the gold and silver respectively.

The Indian had equalled PT Usha’s 400m hurdle national record, which was set in 1984, with a personal best effort of 55.52s to top her heat and directly qualify for the final on Monday.

Ramraj was also part of the Indian quartet, including Muhammed Ajmal Variyathodi, Rajesh Ramesh and Subha Venkatesan, that had won the bronze in mixed team 4x400m relay before it was upgraded to silver on Monday after Sri Lanka’s disqualification for lane infringement.

In men’s 400m hurdles, Yashas Palaksha (49.39) and Santhosh Kumar (49.41) finished fifth and sixth respectively in the final. In women’s high jump final, Pooja and Rubina Yadav ended their campaign at the sixth and ninth positions respectively.