Paris Olympics 2024 Athletics: Annu Rani fails to reach women’s javelin throw final; finishes 15th in the qualification round

Indian javelin thrower Annu Rani failed to qualify for the final of the women’s javelin throw event in the ongoing Paris Olympics 2024 after she finished in 15th position in Group A of the qualification rounds on Wednesday.

The 31-year-old Asian Games gold medalist achieved distances of 55.81m, 53.22m and 53.55m in her three attempts in the qualification rounds, which put her in the second-last spot in her group.

As only the 12 best performers in the qualification rounds progress through to the final round, Annu Rani crashed out of the Paris Olympics 2024 without securing a podium finish.

Annu Rani, a national record holder in javelin throw, will be utterly disappointed with her performance in Paris 2024 as her best throw of 55.81m was nowhere close to her personal best – and national record – of 63.82m, which she achieved in the Indian Open Javelin Throw Competition in Jamshedpur.

Meanwhile, three athletes from Group A achieved the Qualification Standard of 62.00m – South Africa’s Jo-Ane van Dyk (64.22m), Australia’s Mackenzie Little (62.82m) and Kathryn Mitchell (62.40m). Czechia’s Nikola Ogrodnikova (61.16m) qualified by virtue of being among the 12 best athletes in the qualifiers.

With the elimination of Annu Rani as well as Kishore Jena, India’s hopes of securing a podium finish in the javelin throw discipline rely solely on Tokyo 2020 gold medalist Neeraj Chopra. Neeraj will take part in the men’s javelin throw event final on Thursday.

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Paris Olympics 2024 Athletics: Women’s Javelin Throw Qualification Results

1. Jo-Ane van Dyk (South Africa) - 64.22 (Qualified)
2. Mackenzie Little (Australia) - 62.82 (Qualified)
3. Kathryn Mitchell (Australia) - 62.40 (Qualified)
4. Nikola Ogrodnikova (Czechia) - 61.16 (Qualified)
5. Maria Lucelly Murillo (Colombia) - 60.38
6. Lina Muze-Sirma (Latvia) - 60.30
7. Christin Hussong (Germany) - 59.99
8. Tori Peeters (New Zealand) - 59.78
9. Victoria Hudson (Austria) - 59.69
10. Marina Saito (Japan) - 59.42
11. Dai Qianqian (People's Republic of China) - 59.33
12. Maggie Malone-Hardin (United States of America) - 58.76
13. Rhema Otabor (Bahamas) - 57.67
14. Jucilene Sales de Lima (Brazil) - 57.56
15. Annu Rani (India) - 55.81
16. Dilhani Lekamge (Sri Lanka) - 53.66

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