World Athletics Meet: Tejas Shirse wins a silver medal in 110m hurdles, Shaili Singh finishes fourth in long jump
Indian hurdler Tejas Shirse clinched a silver medal in the 110m hurdles at the World Athletics Continental Tour (Bronze level) meet in Geneva on Saturday, June 22. The national record holder clocked 13.60 seconds, just behind John Paredes of Colombia, who secured the gold with a time of 13.49 seconds.
Meanwhile, long jumper Shaili Singh experienced a heart-breaking finish, missing out on a podium spot by the barest of margins. Competing in the women's long jump, Shaili initially tied for third place with Jogaile Petrokaite, both recording a distance of 6.33m.
However, in the tie-breaker, where the second-best jumps were considered, Shaili's 6.28m fell short compared to Jogaile's 6.30m, relegating the Indian jumper to a fourth-place finish.
How can Tejas Shirse and Shaili Singh qualify for the Paris Olympics 2024?
With the Paris Olympics 2024 just a month away, the qualification path for both Tejas Shirse and Shaili Singh remains challenging.
The automatic qualification mark for the men's 110m hurdles is set at 13.27 seconds. Shirse, who holds the national record at 13.41 seconds, will need to improve his performance to secure a quota place for the Olympics.
Alternatively, athletes can qualify through the world rankings. Out of 40 slots, 23 have already been filled through automatic qualification, leaving the remaining spots to be decided by rankings. Currently ranked 61st, Shirse will need to significantly boost his performance to earn his ticket to Paris.
For the women's long jump, the qualification mark stands at 6.86m. Shaili Singh recently won a silver medal with a jump of 6.43m at the JBL Jump Fest, but the results were uncertified by World Athletics. Ranked 46th, she faces stiff competition as only 32 athletes will compete in Paris, with 15 already qualified.
Both Tejas Shirse and Shaili Singh will have one last opportunity to qualify for the Paris Olympics at the National Inter-State Athletics Championships from June 27 to 30. This event will be crucial for them to achieve the required marks and secure their spots in the upcoming Olympics.