Annu Rani qualifies for javelin throw final: World Athletics Championships, Oregon 2022 HIGHLIGHTS

Catch Annu Rani in action in women’s javelin throw qualification in the World Athletics Championships at Hayward Field, Eugene.

FILE PHOTO: Annu Rani of Uttar Pradesh in action during the 61st National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championship at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai on June 12. | Photo Credit: Velankanni Raj B

Welcome to the highlights of the women’s javelin throw qualification Group B.

HIGHLIGHTS

- Here is the official full list of finalists. Annu finishes eighth.

Attempt 3

Andrejczyk (POL): 54.67, Van Dyk (RSA): X, Liu (CHN): Pass, Ogrodnikova (CZE): Pass, Peeters (NZL): 53.67, Barber (AUS): 57.71, Kitaguchi (JPN): Pass, Malone (USA): X, Tugsuz (TUR): X, Annu (IND): 59.60, Angulo (ECU): X, Takemoto (JPN): 54.51, Ortiz (PUR): 55.27, Muze (LAT): 53.38, and, Mitchell (AUS): 53.09

Annu makes the final with a last throw of 59.60m! Phew... Ogrodnikova, having thrown a 60.59m in the first attempt, decides not to go for attempt three. Meanwhile, Palameika and Lyu from Group A, despite having registered their respective seasonal best throws, don’t make the cut.

Attempt 2

Andrejczyk (POL): 55.47, Van Dyk (RSA): 57.79, Liu (CHN): Pass, Ogrodnikova (CZE): 59.07, Peeters (NZL): 52.03, Barber (AUS): 61.27, Kitaguchi (JPN): Pass, Malone (USA): 54.12, Tugsuz (TUR): X, Annu (IND): 55.35, Angulo (ECU): 57.28, Takemoto (JPN): 59.15, Ortiz (PUR): X, Muze (LAT): X, and, Mitchell (AUS): X

Understandably, Liu and Kitaguchi have decided to give the other attempts a pass. Defending champion Barber of Australia murmurs something to herself before launching the spear across a distance of 61.27m. Annu’s second attempt is a disappointing 55.35.

Attempt 1

Andrejczyk (POL): X, Van Dyk (RSA): 54.89, Liu (CHN): 63.86 [SB] [Q],Ogrodnikova (CZE): 60.59, Peeters (NZL): X, Barber (AUS): 58.02, Kitaguchi (JPN): 64.32 [SB] [Q], Malone (USA): 54.19, Tugsuz (TUR): X, Annu (IND): X, Angulo (ECU): 54.23, Takemoto (JPN): 57.10, Ortiz (PUR): 58.52, Muze (LAT): 59.16, and, Mitchell (AUS): X

Liu and Kitaguchi have got off the blocks in style! A seasonal best and direct qualification for both. Kitaguchi, all smiles, sprints to the stands where her coach is seated and poses for the cameras. Ogrodnikova also registers a 60m-plus throw. Annu, meanwhile, starts off with a foul.

- With 40 minutes to go for Annu’s event, the Group B athletes are being led out to the middle to have a look and feel of the conditions. Annu is the last to leave the tent. As the two-time Asian Championship medallist walks out, she looks skywards and taps the panther crest on her jumper.

- We are done with Group A qualification, where only three athletes have been able to record 60m-plus throws. Out of them, only Liveta Jasiunaite has earned a direct qualification for her seasonal best attempt of 63.80m.

Annu Rani, who had improved her National Record to 63.82m in May 2022 at the Indian Open Javelin Throw Competition in Jamshedpur, needs to throw 62.50m or be in the ‘top 12’ among a field of 29 to make the final on July 22 (July 23 in IST).

PERFORMANCE IN THE PREVIOUS EDITION OF THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

World No. 16 Annu had made the final at the 17th edition of the Worlds in Doha in 2019. There, in the qualification round, she had registered a throw of 62.43m (then NR). In the final, she finished eighth with a best effort of 61.12m.