Former Asian champion Sini A. Markose (formerly Sinimol Paulose) stayed in the 2:05 range in her third successive women’s 800m race as she finished fourth in the Brussels Grand Prix in Belgium on Sunday evening.
Sini, whose personal best of 2:02.02s came in Chennai in 2006, clocked 2:05.78s, far away from the Rio Olympics qualifying standard of 2:01.50s.
It was a slow race and the winner, Norway’s Eikemo Borge Martine, clocked 2:05.53.
Meanwhile, Sajeesh Joseph did not finish the men’s two-lapper.
Both had run in another Belgian meet, at Nivelles, on Saturday.
SHIVPAL, ANNU WIN
Shivpal Singh and Annu Rani won the men’s and women’s javelin throw events at the Budapest Open athletics meet in Hungary on Saturday night but they were nowhere near the Rio Olympics qualifying standard.
Shivpal, who produced a personal best of 79.77m in Patiala last month, came up with a best of 76.74m (Rio Oly. entry mark 83m) while beating national record holder Rajender Singh (70.64) to the top honours.
Asian Games bronze medallist Annu Rani had a best of 57.24m (Oly. qual. 62m) while winning the women’s javelin throw.
POOVAMMA FASTEST
Meanwhile, the Indian quartermilers were in action at Opole in Poland. Sumith Kumar was the fastest Indian among men with 47.45s while M.R. Poovamma was the fastest woman in 53.18s. However, they were not anywhere close to the Rio entry standard.
Tamil Nadu’s Arokia Rajiv, the men’s national record holder, and Kerala’s Federation Cup women’s champion Anilda Thomas, who was down with a cold, were not in action last night.
KRISHNA POONIA STRUGGLES
National record-holder Krishna Poonia, chasing the Rio qualifying mark of 61m, could only manage 56.50m while taking the second spot in the Last Chance Olympic qualifier at Chula Vista.
“The day was not good, for a change there were strong tail winds and nobody could come up with a decent performance,” said Virendar Poonia, Krishna Poonia’s coach and husband.
The Indian men won the 4x100m relay gold at the Tatiana Kolpakova athletics meet in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, while the women’s sprint relay team was second, but the timings were rather mediocre. Dutee Chand, the national record holder with 11.33s, was second in the women’s 100m but in 11.47s.
The results:
Opole, Poland: Men, 400m: Race 1: 1. Jakub Krzewina (Pol) 46.84s, 2. A. Dharun (Ind) 47.08, 3. Kunhumohammed (Ind) 47.09. Race 2: A. Lalith (Ind) 46.88s, 2. Mohan Kumar (Ind) 46.89. Race 3: 1. Sumith Kumar (Ind) 47.45s, V. Sajin (Ind) did not finish.
Women’s 400m (Indians in top 3): Race 1: Anu Raghavan (54.27s), 2. Priyanka Panwar (54.49), 3. Sini Jose (55.11). Race 2: 1. M. R. Poovamma (53.18s), Debashree Mazumdar (54.52), Jauna Murmu (54.75).
Bishek, Kyrgyzstan: Men, 100m: 4. Amiya Mallick (Ind) 10.84s. 4x100m relay: 1. India (39.92s).
Women, 100m: 2. Dutee Chand (Ind) 11.47s. 4x100m relay: 2. India (44.45).
Budapest, Hungary: Men's javelin throw: 1. Shivpal Singh (Ind) 76.74m, 2. Rajender Singh (Ind) 70.64, 3. Mark Schmolcz 70.19.
Women's javelin throw: 1. Annu Rani (Ind) 57.24m, 2. Suman Devi (Ind) 55.38, 3. Annabella Bogdan 54.65.
Chula Vista, USA: Women’s discus throw: 1. Rachel Longfors (US) 57.63m, 2. Krishna Poonia (Ind) 56.50.
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