Weary after a long flight from New Delhi, Asian champion Tintu Luka could only manage a mediocre 2:02.79s while finishing fourth in the women’s 800m in the British Milers Club Grand Prix at Watford, near London, on Saturday night.
Tintu, the national record-holder with 1:59.17s, could only reach her hotel at Watford close to midnight and had to run her international season-opener a few hours later.
Adelle Tracey, the British indoor champion, won the gold at the meet with a season best timing of 2:01.24s, while another English girl Alexandra Bell took the silver in a personal-best 2:01.32, ahead of the former World championship bronze medallist Jenny Meadows (2:01.39).
“We reached the hotel around midnight and had to virtually go to bed on an empty stomach,” said P .T. Usha, Tintu’s coach. “Her body was not fit to run. It is a waste of time. I don’t want to travel like this. May be, next meet she will do better.”
A delay in procuring the Schengen visa for Prague had forced Tintu and Usha to postpone the trip to London by a day, which played havoc with their preparations for the BMC Grand Prix.
Tintu will next run at the Josef Odlozil Memorial in Prague, Czech Republic, on June 6.
PTI adds:-
2014 Asian Games bronze winner Annu Rani bagged the gold in women’s javelin throw with an effort of 54.61m at Putbosstadion in Belgium. The Rio Games qualification standard in this event is 62.00m.
In men’s javelin, 19-year-old Neeraj Chopra won the silver with a throw of of 75.52m while Shivpal Singh finished third with an effort of 73.42m. National record-holder Rajender Singh was fifth with a throw of 71.22m. The Rio Games qualification standard in this event is 83.00m.
In the women’s 200m race, Srabani Nanda finished eighth with a timing of 23.84sec.
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