Indian Athletics Thread ...

[Sin Hombre]

Annu Rani finished 15th out of 16th with a 55.81. Thank God for a Sri Lankan being there to finish behind her

Why do we even send people like Annu Rani to Olympics anymore?

Free vacation after spinach enabled qualification.

[PKBasu]

Annu Rani finished 15th out of 16th with a 55.81. Thank God for a Sri Lankan being there to finish behind her

Why do we even send people like Annu Rani to Olympics anymore?

Or someone like Priyanka Goswami (even after St Moritz!). She finished 41st in her 20km and today she and Panwar did not finish the marathon relay after lying at a low place post-25-30km.

Almost the entire athletics contingent has performed pathetically (with the exception, so far, of Avinash Sable). They are hiding behind our world-beater, Neeraj. Next time, we should be much more stringent about picking athletes: just eliminate all domestic performances, and pick based on those who perform overseas (in meets where anti-doping protocols are in place).

[Sin Hombre]

In any proper country, the only athletes who would have been allowed to even go would have been Neeraj, Avinash, Sreeshankar and the men’s 4*400

Rest are all spinach artists or total clowns like this Priyanka Goswami.

[Mugundan]

In any proper country, the only athletes who would have been allowed to even go would have been Neeraj, Avinash, Sreeshankar and the men’s 4*400

Rest are all spinach artists or total clowns like this Priyanka Goswami.

In my assessment, the relay runners in both the sections are the biggest spinach consumers!

[Mugundan]

Annu Rani finished 29th among 32 competitors in two groups.
Interestingly, at Tokyo also she finished 29th overall in qualification, though with a poorer result (54.01m). How she managed to make the final of two World championships in 2019 and 2022 will remain a mystery for me. Last WC she finished 19th overall in qualification with 57.05m, but won the Asian Games (minus Kitaguchi) gold with an SB 62.92m.

[Sin Hombre]

In any proper country, the only athletes who would have been allowed to even go would have been Neeraj, Avinash, Sreeshankar and the men’s 4*400

Rest are all spinach artists or total clowns like this Priyanka Goswami.

In my assessment, the relay runners in both the sections are the biggest spinach consumers!

I knew you would say this, and I agree. However, the men continue to smash Asian records at the Olympics, WC and the Asian Games.

At some point, we just have to admit they are good at using spinach and there is nothing wrong with that. That's how China has become a powerhouse in swimming and how the piddly island became dominant at cycling.

[Atithee]

The qualification routes to make it to the Olympics in the disguise of wokeness by IOA enable and embolden these no hopers from many countries (not just India) to go on a junket. Can’t say it is totally wrong but it’s definitely embarrassing for a country of the stature of India.

[arjun2761]

^^^ But I could be creating a big Ramayanam epic about it all. He could've well been just gassed and got lucky that there wasn't a 6th runner in contention ... Just saying that it was most probably not the case. The slowdown at the end was much more than what a gassed player would do (and more like he had some injury/cramp), which is why I was thinking it was nothing but just deliberate.

We will never know the truth since both explanations were possible. He had stumbled over at least a couple of the hurdles near the end and generally that is an indication of being tired. Also, almost no one that is cruising in a tactical race walks the final few steps as cruising/jogging for long distance runners is something they can do almost forever without much impact on tiredness or recovery. However, his slowing down to a walk almost seems like his lactic acid buildup was so strong that he chose to walk and as you noted almost got pipped for the 5th spot.

[jayakris]

^^ Yeah, we will never know. He might not have been "Gassed" gassed in the heats but was quite gassed, i admit

But I was also pretty sure that he had no next gear available at the end of the heats. If he had, he might have cruised with the front group even if he got the chance to slow down. The only race I found where I saw him having enough reserves to push all the way to the end was the Commonwealth games silver race. He was quite tired today too. Basically 8:12 to 8:15 is what he can do and he would do that pretty comfortably if that is where the race is. Don't ask him to drop even 1 seconds in the end with any speed-increase. That won't happen.

[PKBasu]

Congratulations to Neeraj Chopra! The only Indian ever to win an Athletics medal at the Olympics just doubled his medal haul -- becoming the first Indian to ever win an individual Olympic gold AND silver medal. (He is now alone atop that particular peak; Abhinav had a gold and 4th place finish in separate Olympics).

Yesterday, Neeraj's strapped-up body was the most revealing. He did not wear a sleeveless vest because there probably were lots of tapes around the arm as well. He was wearing a brace around his stomach (probably to protect his back) and even a bandage on his throwing arm. That he nonetheless delivered his season's best is creditable. (Arshad Nadeem was healthy and on fire, with an OR on his second throw; not much anyone else could do on the occasion). We need to focus on getting Neeraj completely healthy for LA, and perhaps for just the World Championships (not necessarily every year), CWG and Asiad in between. He should participate in Diamond Leagues, etc., only sparingly.

[jayakris]

But all said and done, Neeraj finished right near the top. Yes, it was only one throw that was even legit. But that throw was tremendous. I don't know how he comes through time and again, and then once again!

A few days ago, I wrote here my fear that Neeraj would have a bad day one of these days, after not having one in years. I was fearing that "it might happen next week, and that it would make us fall behind Pakistan in medal standing". Sameer fell off the chair, I think, seeing that dire prediction ...

But it didn't happen the way I feared it would. Neeraj did not have a bad day. Reaching within 0.4 m of his 89.9 PB, when it was clear from 5/6 fouls that he was not at his best, is certainly not a bad day! (Pakistan's getting ahead on medal standings had nothing to do with Neeraj really; only to do with the Pakistani who turned into the Bob Beamon of Olympic javelin)

The consistency from Neeraj in coming through without fail is incredible. What a legend!

[rajitghosh]

I think we are disappointed he lost to a Pakistani. Had he lost to the Grendan or the Czech or the German the disappointment would have been less. This is like that dialogue in 3 Idiots (rough translation)- when you lose you feel sad but when you lose and your friend wins you feel more sad. What we must celebrate is that it is still a tremendous achievement and in a medal starved country it is still the best performance in these Olympics.

[jayakris]

I felt differently though. If it were somebody else who beat Neeraj and set the record, I would be much more disappointed. I wanted Nadeem or Neeraj to keep a firm grip on Javelin for a few years, and build the reputation that the subcontinental race can be the best in at least one athletic event out there. The longer these two rule, the better for the subcontinent to own the field. The fact is that, thanks to the population in these two countries, if enough people take to ANY sport, we can rule the world. Like we showed in cricket.

I read on whatsapp that there were 3000 kids at the u16 nationals for Javelin in India (may be fake info, but a big number I am sure). Now you watch. There will be 1500 kids in Pakistan too. That is all good.

Maybe another reason why I was glad that Nadeem won, was that he is a friend of Neeraj. Somebody who has openly said that he idolizes Neeraj. How can I not wish that guy well? if it was not going to be Neeraj, I wanted it to be Nadeem. Even better that it was not a failure from Neeraj that caused it, but excellence from Nadeem. I found myself quite fine with it all.

[rajitghosh]

Honestly when I watched Nadeem's throws I was reminded of Shoaib Akhtar's yorkers clean bowling Dravid and Tendulkar. The similarity was uncanny.

[jayakris]

Women's 4by400 relay heats coming up in minutes... Men's 4by400 after half an hour.