Neeraj Chopra, the South Asian Games champion who has the world’s top five throws among juniors this season, entered the men’s javelin throw final after topping the qualifying group with a 78.20m effort in the IAAF World under-20 athletics championship in Bydgoszcz, Poland, on Friday.
That should make him the favourite for the gold — and if it comes it will be the country’s first-ever in a world athletics championship — in Saturday night’s final.
West Bengal’s Asian junior champion Lili Das, who had a disappointing 800m a couple of days ago, qualified for the women’s 1500m final with a personal best of 4:19.48s in the heats.
But there was disappointment as last year’s Asian youth champion Beant Singh — the world’s third fastest under-18 runner this year with a personal best of 1:48.51 (senior Federation Cup in Delhi, April) — failed to qualify for the men’s 800m semifinal after finishing fifth in the first round heat in 1:51.73s.
Ajay Kumar Saroj, who has a personal best of 3:44.4s and who has been on a fine run in the senior national circuit this season, finished fifth in the men’s 1500m final on Thursday night in 3:49.52s.
The results (gold medallists & Indian performances in finals only):
Men: 1500m: Kumari Taki (Ken) 3:48.63s; 5. Ajay Kumar Saroj (Ind) 3:49.52. 110m hurdles: Marcus Krah (USA) 13.25s. Triple jump: Lazaro Martinez (Cub) 17.06m.
Women: 100m: Candace Hill (USA) 11.07s. 400m: Tiffany James (Jam) 51.32s. 800m: Samantha Watson (USA) 2:04.52s. Pole vault: Angelica Moser (Sui) 4.55m NMR. Discus throw: Kristina Rakocevic (Mne) 56.36m.
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