D.P. Manu triumphs in men's javelin throw at Indian Grand Prix I, falls short of Paris Olympics qualification
At the recent Indian Grand Prix I, D.P. Manu emerged victorious in the men's javelin throw event with a throw measuring 81.91 meters. He had previously won a silver medal at the 2023 Asian Athletics Championships.
The Olympic entry standard for men's javelin throw is, however, 85.50m. Notably, Neeraj Chopra and Kishore Jena, both of whom have met the entry standard for the Paris Olympics, did not participate in the competition.
Manu started strong with a throw of 76.78 meters, followed by a slight dip to 73.46 meters. However, he clinched victory with an impressive throw of 81.91 meters on his third attempt. Despite failing in his final three attempts, the 24-year-old's earlier performance was enough to secure his win.
Hima Das, who returned to competition at the Indian Grand Prix I track and field event in Bengaluru on Tuesday, was disappointing in the women's 200m race. The NADA provisionally suspended her due to three whereabouts failures, and she had to withdraw from the race near the bend, grimacing in pain. The event was ultimately won by Chelimi from Andhra Pradesh with a time of 23.92 seconds.
No athlete met the Paris Olympics qualification standard at the Indian Grand Prix I
The men's shot put event turned into a no-show at the Indian Grand Prix I. Despite having only three competitors in that discipline, the presence of Tajinderpal Singh Toor, the reigning Asian Games and Asian Championship gold medallist, generated significant interest.
However, their hopes were dashed as Tajinderpal, along with his rivals Sourabh Vij and Siddharth Rao, did not show up, leaving the organizers puzzled. Tajinderpal, with a personal best of 21.77m, had the best chance of meeting the 2024 Paris Olympics qualification standard of 21.50m.
Praveen Chithravel outperformed the favorite Eldhose Paul in the men's triple jump event at the Indian Grand Prix I with a leap of 17.12m. He fell short of the Olympic qualifying mark of 17.22m.
In the women's long jump, emerging talent Shaili Singh secured victory with a jump of 6.52m. Nayana James claimed the silver medal with a jump of 6.44m. No athlete met the Paris Olympics qualification standard on Tuesday.