Indian hurdler Jyothi Yarraji opens up on her injury that affected her Paris Olympics 2024 preparations

100m hurdler Jyothi Yarraji is confident of achieving her personal best at the forthcoming Paris Olympics, scheduled to start on July 26. Furthermore, she opened up on her injury which hampered her preparations in the lead-up to the quadrennial event.

Yarraji secured her Paris Olympics 2024 quota through the world rankings route. Though the women’s 100m hurdles event has been part of the Summer Games since 1972, this will be the first time an Indian athlete is present on the start list.

The 24-year-old from Andhra Pradesh could have secured automatic entry to Paris 2024 if not for an injury to her lead leg that she suffered at the Monet Grand Prix in Finland in May. She clocked 12.78 seconds in Finland, missing the qualification mark by only 0.01 seconds.

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"I hit the 10th hurdle hard with my lead leg during the race and badly lost my balance and momentum. It took me at least 5-6 weeks to recover from that injury. I would have loved to achieve the qualification mark. While I was confident of qualifying through my world ranking, the injury did affect my preparations for Paris. I have three weeks left to train for the Olympics and I want to use this time judiciously. I will look to achieve my personal best in Paris," Jyothi told TOI.

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“Olympics is like a dream for every athlete” - Jyothi Yarraji

The Asian Games 2023 silver medallist hurdler Jyothi Yarraji is eager to express herself and take on whatever challenges await her. Moreover, she is confident in giving her best and not repeating mistakes in the French capital.

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"Olympics is like a dream for every athlete. I just want to go there (in Paris) and express myself. I try to become a better athlete every day. I always take on challenges to move forward. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication to get there. Once you are an Olympian, it will always stay with your name. I want to do my best over there and not repeat mistakes," Jyothi added in the same interview.

In the recently released World Athletics rankings, Jyothi Yarraji was ranked 34th in the Road to Paris rankings for women’s 100m hurdles event, making the cut among 40 athletes. Additionally, she is the only Indian female to secure a medal in the women’s 100m hurdles event at the Asian Games.

The Asian Athletics Championships 2023 gold medallist Jyothi Yarraji also secured a gold medal in the recently concluded National Inter-State Athletics Championships in Panchkula, Haryana, clocking 13.54 seconds.

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