Asian Indoor Athletics C'ships: Jyothi Yarraji wins 60m hurdles gold, breaks national record

Star Indian hurdler Jyothi Yarraji broke her national record (NR) in the women's 60m hurdles event to win the gold medal at the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships 2024 in Tehran, Iran on Saturday. Harmilan Bains, meanwhile, won the women's 1500m final.

Yarraji clocked 8.12 seconds in the final of the event, breaking her previous NR of 8.13s set at the same competition last year in Astana, Kazakhstan. With this gold medal, Jyothi bettered her silver medal-winning performance from the last edition of the event.

This is the sixth time Jyothi Yarraji has broken the national record in 60m hurdles. Last year, Jyothi broke the national record for the first time when she clocked 8.20s and then bettered it four more times to set the previous NR of 8.13s.

Earlier in the day, Jyothi topped her heat by clocking 8.22s.

India won the first gold medal of the event when Harmilan Bains clocked 4:29.55s to top the 1500m final.

Other Indians in action, Shaili Singh and Nayana James finished fifth and sixth respectively in the women's long jump final. Shaili registered the best jump of 6.27m while Nayana James registered a 6.23m jump.

China won the gold and silver medals, with Xiong Shiqi jumping 6.55m to take the gold and Tan Mengyi jumping 6.50m to win the silver medal.

With two gold on the first day, India has already bettered last year's performance where only Jyothi Yarraji returned home with a gold medal.

In the evening session, Tejas Shirse (60m hurdles), Tajinderpal Singh Toor (Shot Put), Dhanvir (Shot Put), and Ajay Kumar Saroj (1500m) will be in action.