Rohit Yadav Shatters Javelin Record at National Championships

Rohit Yadav's Record-Breaking Javelin Throw

Javelin thrower Rohit Yadav captured attention as he secured the second position in the global rankings for men's javelin throw, achieving an impressive distance of 87.05 meters during the final day of the 65th National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships held at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar.

The 25-year-old athlete from Uttar Pradesh clinched gold with his remarkable throw, marking him as the top Indian javelin thrower this season. He now ranks second worldwide, trailing only behind Sri Lankan Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage, who has a throw of 92.62 meters. Notably, two-time Olympic and world medalist Neeraj Chopra is currently in fourth place with a throw of 85.69 meters.

Previously, Yadav's best throw was 83.04 meters, recorded earlier this year. His latest achievement also surpassed the previous meet record of 84.35 meters set by Manu DP in 2022.

"This performance has significantly boosted my confidence ahead of major competitions like the Glasgow Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games in Japan," Yadav expressed. He added, "I have been consistently throwing distances of 86 to 87 meters in practice, but translating that into competition has been challenging. I'm thrilled to have set a new benchmark today."

Yadav's series of throws included distances of 77.71m, 77.63m, no mark, 77.51m, 79.40m, and his record-breaking 87.05m. He noted, "I achieved the 87.05m throw in my final attempt due to a good rhythm. To perform optimally in the future, I need to consistently throw over 85m or 86m in my opening attempts."

In addition to Yadav, Yashvir Singh and Sachin Yadav secured second and third places, respectively, with throws of 83.72m and 82.32m, both meeting the qualification mark for the Japan Asian Games set at 77.87m.

Sreeshankar Shines in Long Jump

In the long jump event, Kerala's Sreeshankar M showcased his talent, winning gold with a jump of 8.38m on his fourth attempt. All his legal jumps on that day exceeded 8 meters, with series results of 8.06m, 8.00m, 8.21m, 8.38m, 8.26m, and a no mark on his last attempt.

"The competitive atmosphere motivated me to perform at my best, and I kept pushing myself," Sreeshankar commented on his outstanding performance.

Meet Conclusion and Awards

Numerous athletes met the Asian Games qualification standards in their events on the final day. The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) is set to announce the contingent for the Asian Games on Monday.

Sreeshankar M and Ancy Sojan were honored as the best male and female athletes of the meet. Uttar Pradesh claimed the men's team trophy with 71 points, while Haryana took home the women's team trophy with 82 points. Tamil Nadu emerged victorious in the overall team championships with a total of 138 points.

Day-Five Results

Men

400m (AG Q Time 45.97 secs): Vishal TK (Tamil Nadu) 45.43 secs, Manu TS (Kerala) 45.60 secs, Jay Kumar (Uttar Pradesh) 45.73 secs.

10,000m (AG Q Time 29:00.00): Abhishek Pal (Uttar Pradesh) 30:03.88 secs, Sawan Barwal (Himachal Pradesh) 30:08.08 secs, Shailesh Kushwaha (Karnataka) 30:23.13 secs.

3000m steeplechase (AG Q Time 8:36.57 secs): Balkishan (Haryana) 8:50.18 secs, Sharuk Khan (Uttar Pradesh) 8:53.18 secs, Shubham Bhandare (Maharashtra) 8:54.90 secs.

Javelin throw (AG Q Mark 77.87m): Rohit Yadav (Uttar Pradesh) 87.05m, Yashvir Singh (Rajasthan) 83.72m, Sachin Yadav (Uttar Pradesh) 82.32m.

Long jump (AG Q Mark 7.91m): Sreeshankar M (Kerala) 8.38m, Shahnavaz Khan (Uttar Pradesh) 8.30m, David P (Tamil Nadu) 8.06m.

4x400m relay: Tamil Nadu 3:9.32 secs, Karnataka 3:09.51 secs, Kerala 3:09.51 secs.

Women

400m (AG Q Time 53.72 seconds): Prachi (Uttar Pradesh) 53.24 secs, Kiran Pahal (Haryana) 53.45 secs, Devyaniba Zala (Gujarat) 53.46 secs.

10,000m (AG Q Time: 33:50.00): Seema (Himachal Pradesh) 34:28.75 secs, Soniya (Uttarakhand) 34:35.22 secs, Ravina Gayakwad (Maharashtra) 35:44.45 secs.

3000m steeplechase (AG Q Time 9:47.53 secs): Ankita (Uttarakhand) 9:44.05, Khushbu Gupta (Uttar Pradesh) 19:38.47, Kumari Parru (Rajasthan) 10:52.28.

High jump (AG Q Mark 1.80m): Pooja (Haryana) 1.83m, Supriya B (Karnataka) 1.80m, Khyati Mathur (Uttar Pradesh) 1.80m.

Heptathlon (AG Q Mark 5605 points): Pooja (Haryana) 5619 points, Anamika KA (Kerala) 5466 points, Khushi (Haryana) 5438 points.

4x400m relay: Tamil Nadu 3:35.87 secs, Karnataka 3:36.18 secs, Kerala 3:39.70 secs.