Athletics
Athletics World U20 C'ships: Jay Kumar, Sharuk Khan shine on a subdued day
Jay Kumar and Sharuk Khan were the only two Indian athletes to reach the final at the 2024 U20 World Athletics Championships.
The horror show of the Indian U20 athletes continued at the ongoing U20 World Athletics Championships as Jay Kumar and Sharuk Khan were the only athletes to make it to a final on the second day of the tournament in Lima, Peru.
Jay Kumar breached his personal best in the men's 400m semi-final to clock 46.96s and booked his berth in the final.
Earlier in the day, Jay clocked 47.08s in the sixth heat of the men's 400m while Bapi Hansda clocked 51.26s in the fourth heat after recovering from dengue fever.
In men's 3000m steeplechase, Sharuk Khan set the U20 national record after clocking 8:45.12 in the first heat of the event and booking his berth in the final. He finished six across two heats and 30 runners.
His counterpart and U20 Asian Championships medalist, Ranvir Singh clocked a poor 9:22.54 and finished 27th overall despite leading his qualification race for the first 1500m.
The biggest disappointment of the day was junior national record holder quarter-miler Neeru Pathak who clocked a poor 55.58s in the third heat of the women's 400m and finished last in the heat.
Neeru, who set a new junior national record two months back, was nowhere close to her peak struggling to finish in the last lap.
In the men's pole vault, promising vaulter Dev Meena failed to cross the 5m barrier and ended with one mark of 4.95m finishing 22nd overall.
Promising hurdler Murad Kalubhai Sirman almost booked his berth in the semi-final of the 400m hurdles by clocking 52.85s in the first heat. However, with only three athletes going to semis from one heat, Murad fell short by a whisker with 52.84s being the qualifying mark in his heat,
In women's 400m hurdles, Shreeya Rajesh finished 23rd overall with a timing of 1:00.07s.
India won three medals at the 2022 edition of the tournament including two silver in triple jump and mixed 4x400m relay and one bronze in women's 400m.