Jisna to make her 800m debut in Patiala Indian Grand Prix

Jisna, however, will not be dropping the quartermile and will be running the 400m in the second and fourth GP meets.

Jisna Mathew will be making her 800m debut at the Indian Grand Prix-1.

Jisna Mathew, the 400m bronze medallist at the Asian Championships, will be making her 800m debut at the Indian Grand Prix-1, the national track and field season-opener for seniors, in Patiala on Saturday.

When her coach P.T. Usha asked her to try out the 800m a few weeks ago, Jisna first thought it was a joke.

“She took it lightly, as a sort of joke, but when she saw the improvement she was making with each passing day, she began getting confident and now feels that she could do very well in the event,” Usha told Sportstar .

“I feel she will run her first 800m in 2:03s but she is capable of doing better. She will be doing very well in the two-lapper in a year’s time.”

Jisna, however, will not be dropping the quartermile and will be running the 400m in the second (in New Delhi, February 27) and fourth (in Panchkula, Chandigarh, March 6) GP meets.

“Running the 800m will also help her in the 400m,” said Usha.