Indian Athletics Thread ...

[prasen9]

I have a problem. The lions are not responding when I ask them if they are hungry

[Atithee]

Because all the lions in the den are retired or ex-babus in lion's pelt. Even if they were hungry, the current babus will escape untouched due to professional courtesy.

[sameerph]

Today Asian Athletics Championships began in Bhuvaneshwar. We finished the day 1 with 2 golds, 1 silver and 4 bronze medals.

These are our medalists for the day -

Gold
Manpreet Kaur - Womens shot put - 18.28M
Govindan Laxmanan - Mens 5000M - 14.54.48s

Silver
V.Neena- Womens Long jump - 6.54M

Bronze
Annu Rani - Womens Javelin - 57.32M
Nayana James - Womens Long jump - 6.42M
Sanjivani Jadhav - Womens 5000M - 16.00.24
Vikas Gowda - Mens Discuss - 60.81M

Good to see golds in events where we are generally not that dominant at Asian level. I am not quite sure though if the best Chinese women shot putters or the best long distance runners from middle east were available.

[jaydeep]

No top Asian athletes participation here as they r preparing for World Championship after participating in the ongoing Diamond League.

[Varma]

It is very disappointing to see Vikas barely being able to go past the 60 mark these days. Even at Rio last year, he could only manage 58.99. Is he past his best? Any comments, Mugu?

- Varma

[sameerph]

He is 34 and so looks like he is beginning to fade which is sad. He was one athlete who seemed clean and whom I had some hope that he will bring home an olympics athletics medal this time.

Today, we won 4 golds medals and 8 more medals.

Gold
Nirmala Sheron Womens 400M
Muhammed Anas Mens 400M
Chita P.U Womens 1500M
Ajay Kumar Saroj Mens 1500M

Silver
Tejinder Pal Singh Mens shot put
Rajiv Arokia Mens 400M

Bronze
Jisna Mathew Womens 400M
Dutee Chand Womens 100M

It was Indian 1-2 in mens 400M and 1-3 in womens 400M. The winners here get automatic qualification for the world championships. So, 6 Indian gold medalists qualify for world championships so far.

[sameerph]

India finished with it's best ever tally in an Asian Championships when they finished at the top ( ahead of China for the first time) with 12 golds, 5 silver and 12 bronze medals. I know that some of the best in Asia were not available but still it is a commendable performance.

I have been travelling and too tired to out individual medal winners in last 2 days but notable winners today were Govindan Laxmanan who completed a double of 5000 and 10000M and Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra who in his last attempt produced a big heave of 85.23M for the Asian championships record and the gold.

This throw would have won him silver in the last Asian games and he would have finished 5th at the Rio Olympics. And to think that Neeraj is just 19. He really seems to have the champion stuff in him.

[Sin Hombre]

I hope Neeraj is not on spinach, it would be good to finally break the Olympics voodoo in athletics.

[arjun2761]

Neeraj Chopra also finished 5th at the Paris Diamond League meet with 84.67m where the top thrower threw 88+. So, he is quite competitive with the world's best in most of the top meets where we assume he is being tested. Hopeful, as he definitely has the potential of being our greatest track and field athlete....

[sameerph]

This is a nice article looking back at positives from the Asian Athletics championships with a word of caution-

Asian Championships: Athletes impress but sterner tests ahead

[PKBasu]

Neeraj Chopra certainly looks on track to be a serious medal contender at the Tokyo Olympics three years from now.

In general, it is encouraging to see a lot of younger track and field talent emerging -- and good to see India hosting the Asian championships this year. The competition wasn't first rate, but the winning habit is nice to pick up early in one's career.

[Mugundan]

It is very disappointing to see Vikas barely being able to go past the 60 mark these days. Even at Rio last year, he could only manage 58.99. Is he past his best? Any comments, Mugu?

- Varma

Looks well past his prime at the world level, though at the Asian level he can still win a silver or at least a medal if Hadadi is around and take the gold if the Iranian is not. At least for a year or two.
Last year, his only "recorded" competition happened to be the Olympics. It was always clear that he was injured but AFI said he had assured that he would be all right. With that background the federation asked him to come and undergo a trial.

[Mugundan]

This is a nice article looking back at positives from the Asian Athletics championships with a word of caution-

Asian Championships: Athletes impress but sterner tests ahead

Surely sterner tests would be ahead. Asian championships are rarely an indication of the strength of China and Japan. This time too it was no different. China finishing second to India in medals tally could not have been thought of even in an average field.
The future has to be from an Asian Games perspective rather than a Tokyo Olympics one since only Neeraj Chopra seems to be in Olympic/WC contention. CWG can be forgotten barring a few throwing events among women.
It is a good feeling to have topped the medals tally, but keep a watch on the athletes at the inter-state meet starting at Guntur on 15th. Performances there might provide a clue to what could be expected at the London World championships. Just in terms of dip in performance, especially in throws, rather than any possibility of going for a medal.
The odd qualification for WC in a jumps event at Guntur cannot be ruled out but that should be taken with a pinch of spinach!
By the way, I don't think Chopra could be on that stuff (to answer Sin Hombre) from what has been on view so far. He is steady at around 81-85. World championships will probably give us a better idea. He can produce a medal there if the guys who are throwing 94-93 and 88-87 come down a little. Looks unlikely.

[jaydeep]

Damneet Singh grabbed a silver in boys' hammer throw event after throwing his personal best throw, 74.20m, to give India their first medal in u-18 World Athletics ... Nitesh Poonia finished 10th with a best throw of 65.79m.

At IAAF u-18 World Athletics Championships 2017, Nairobi, Kenya

Boys' Hammer Throw

Gold - Mykhaylo Kokhan (UKR) 82.31m
Silver - Damneet Singh (IND) 74.20m
Bronze - Raphael Winkelvoss (GER) 71.78m

[prasen9]

At the IAAF World Championship Sudha Singh and Chitra are not part of the INdian squad even though they made the qualifying standards.
No Sudha or Chitra That is because they are currently out of form and was not near the qualifying standards in the last meet. Sudha not in
squad due to drop in performance. Any inside information?

Add to that the idiots who ruined the chances of our 50k racewalkers. Juvenile error means it's walkover for walkers