Annu Rani Successfully Completes Knee Surgery, Aims for Comeback
Annu Rani Undergoes Successful Surgery
Annu Rani, a two-time Olympian and former Asian Games champion, has successfully had knee surgery in Doha. After enduring injuries and ongoing pain for nearly a year, the Indian javelin thrower is eager to return to competition and represent her country once more. The 34-year-old athlete, who participated in the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympics, shared her experience on social media, calling the past year one of the toughest in her athletic career.
On Instagram, Annu expressed her gratitude, stating, "I am happy and grateful to share that I have successfully undergone my knee surgery in Doha. For almost a year, I have been struggling with knee injuries and persistent pain. It has been one of the most challenging phases of my sporting career, as the pain made it difficult for me to train, compete, and continue doing what I love the most."
Struggles in the 2026 Season
Annu faced significant challenges during the 2026 season, where she holds the national record in women's javelin throw with a distance of 63.82m, achieved in 2022. Throughout the year, she participated in eight events, securing victories in three, but was unable to surpass the 60m mark in any of them. Her best throw of the season was 57.50m, recorded at the Indian Athletics Final Series in New Delhi in September. Unfortunately, this was 12cm short of the Athletics Federation of India's (AFI) qualification standard of 57.62m for the 2026 Asian Games, which excluded her from the Indian team for the Aichi-Nagoya Games. The Asian Games title was claimed by China's Yan Ziyi, who set a new Games record of 70.46m, while Japan's Haruka Kitaguchi (62.70m) and Sae Takemoto (62.15m) completed the podium.
Annu's struggles were apparent from the start of the season, as her eight-year winning streak in domestic competitions came to an end. She finished third with a throw of 55.78m at the Indian Athletics Series in Sangrur in May. However, she bounced back with wins in competitions held in Czechia and Bhubaneswar, eventually topping the Asian Games selection trial in New Delhi. Despite these successes, she could not exceed her season-best of 57.50m. Her last throw over 60m occurred at the National Inter-State Athletics Championships in Chennai in August 2025, where she achieved a distance of 61.05m. Earlier that month, she had thrown 62.59m in Poland, marking her first effort beyond 60m in over 15 months, followed by a throw of 62.01m in Bhubaneswar.
Road to Recovery
While Annu has not specified a timeline for her return to competition, she remains committed to making a comeback. She stated, "Now begins a new journey of patience, dedication, hard work, and recovery. I know the road ahead will not be easy, but my determination to represent India once again remains stronger than ever. My dream is still alive. I will work hard, come back stronger, and give my very best to bring glory to India."