Kiran Pahal had already caused a flutter on Thursday morning, running the fastest 400m in the heats.
But the extent of her achievement sunk in only in the evening when the 23-year old from Haryana smashed everything in sight – the meet record, her personal best and, most importantly, the Olympic qualifying mark – on the opening day of the 63rd Inter-State Athletics Championships here.
Kiran clocked 50.92 seconds – the OQ mark is 50.95s – to become only the second Indian ever to go under 51, behind national record holder Hima Das.
Interestingly, she was participating in her first competition this year, after an eight month gap, and this is the first time she has breached the 51-second mark. Her previous best was a 51.84s set during the Haryana state championships in 2022.
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Add the fact that she trains on her own in Rohtak, has no sponsors and is practically disowned by her family and it becomes clear why her eyes welled up after the race.
“My father was my biggest support but after his death two years ago, I have been alone. My mother and brother haven’t spoken to me in over a year. There was a time when I had thrown away my kit and decided I won’t compete again. But competition is a high only an athlete can understand,” a choked Kiran said.
Realising the Olympic dream: Kiran, who was running in her first race of the year, celebrates confirming her spot at the Paris Olympics. | Photo Credit: Ritu Raj Konwar/ The Hindu
Family is only one of the many fronts on which she has been fighting. Having made it to the national camp in 2022, she was removed last year. Everything from training to competition to diet has been a struggle.
“I even wanted to enter in the 200m but was unable to do so from the state,” she revealed.
While the Indian men’s and women’s relay teams have already qualified, India is racing against time in the mixed relay. With her time here, Kiran might be an asset for the relay side, which looks tough with the AFI rule of not considering national campers but she is open to the idea. “Anything that can help India,” she shrugged.
In the men’s event, however, things were more settled with the relay team stars all getting direct entry into the semifinals and easily booking their spots in the final.
In the men’s 1500m, the showdown between NCAA sensation Parvej Khan and Avinash Sable never happened with the former sauntering to victory in the first heat and the latter not starting. Sable, however, is confirmed for the 3000m steeplechase as per AFI.
In the morning heats, 100m national record holder Manikanta Hoblidhar had a disappointing 5th place finish with 11.10 seconds and did not start in the semifinals in the evening. Hoblidhar had timed 10.23s at the National Open Championships in October last.
There were no surprises otherwise with the top 3 – Animesh Kujur, Amlan Borgohain and Gurindervir Singh – winning their respective semifinals. Hima Das timed 12.69s in the 100m to finish 6th in her heat and did not qualify for the semifinals. The main contenders in men’s High Jump – Sarvesh Kushare, Tejaswin Shankar and Jesse Sandesh – all qualified for Friday’s final.
In the 5000m – one of the three finals held on the day -- Gulveer Singh set a new meet record of 13 minutes, 34.67 seconds, bettering his own previous mark by more than eight seconds but it was far from the Olympic qualifying mark of 13:05.00.
Among the women, Uttarakhand’s Ankita clocked 16:12.27 to take gold while in hammer throw, Manju Bala finished on top with 63.66m.
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