Reigning Asian Games champion Annu Rani and Indian sprinter Rajesh Ramesh clinched victories in their respective events at the Warszawskie Zawody Lekkoatletyczne 2024 athletics meet on Saturday. The event saw a strong performance by Indian athletes as they prepared for the Paris 2024 Olympics. In the women’s javelin throw, Annu Rani emerged victorious with a throw of 58.70m in her fifth attempt, significantly surpassing Poland’s Amelia Bielak’s best throw of 35.35m. The 31-year-old Annu, who is an eight-time national champion and holds the Indian national record of 63.82m, demonstrated her consistency and prowess once again. Her season’s best of 60.68m, achieved in Germany two months ago, remains one of her top performances this year, though still shy of Colombian athlete Flor Ruiz’s world-leading mark of 66.70m.
In the track events, Jyothi Yarraji excelled in the women’s 100m hurdles qualifiers, clocking 13.29s to secure the top spot. However, she opted out of the final race. Yarraji, the reigning Asian champion, equaled her national record of 12.78s in May this year. She also participated in the women’s 200m event, finishing second with a time of 23.53, behind compatriot Kiran Pahal, who clocked 23.33. Rajesh Ramesh, 25, delivered a standout performance in the men’s 400m race, clocking a season’s best time of 45.54 to win the event. Fellow Indian sprinter Muhammed Ajmal secured third place with a time of 45.69, while national record holder Muhammed Anas Yahiya finished fourth at 45.93. Other Indian athletes, including Amoj Jacob (46.00), Mijo Chacko Kurian (46.52), and Santhosh Kumar Tamilarasan (46.68), placed fifth, seventh, and eighth, respectively.