Chitra strikes gold, Jinson breaks national record

Asian champion P.U. Chitra won gold in the women’s 1500m at the Next Generation Athletics meet in Nijmegen, Netherlands, while Asian Games gold medallist Jinson Johnson broke the men’s 1500m national record.

P.U. Chitra clocked 4:13.52s to bag the gold in the women's 1500m event at the Next Generation athletics meet in Nijmegen, Netherlands. (File Photo)

Asian champion P.U. Chitra bagged the women’s 1500m gold while Asian Games gold medallist Jinson Johnson broke the men’s 1500m national record in the Next Generation athletics meet at Nijmegen, Netherlands, on Saturday.

Chitra clocked 4:13.52s, while Jinson timed 3:37.62 and bettered his own Indian record of 3:37.86s as he finished sixth. Former Asian champion Ajay Kumar Saroj also clocked a personal best 3:40.39 while finishing 11.

Uganda’s Ronald Musagala won the gold in 3:35.81s while Kenya’s former under-20 World champion Kumari Taki took the silver (3:36.05).

In the women’s 1500m, Iceland’s former under-18 800m World champion Anita Hinriksdottir finished behind Chitra in 4:14.00s.