Sreeshankar lights up the day at Indian Grand Prix

M. Sreeshankar produced his best in the last round, sailing past 8m for the fourth time in his life and won the men's long jump gold comfortably in the Indian Grand Prix-2 in Patiala on Thursday.

Long jumper Sreeshankar in full tilt at the Indian Grand Prix-2 in Patiala on Thursday.

The signs are good. M. Sreeshankar produced his best in the last round, sailing past 8m for the fourth time in his life and won the men's long jump gold comfortably in the Indian Grand Prix-2 in Patiala on Thursday.

The 21-year-old appeared to have problems sighting the board for a long time time till he got the 8.05m in the last round.

“Almost my jumps were 20 to 25cm behind the board, even in the last jump my toe just touched the board so I can sort of add 40cm to almost every jump today,” Sreeshankar, the national record holder with 8.20m, told Sportstar on Thursday.

“That has raised my confidence level, I just need to work on my run-up.”

Yugant Shekhar Singh, the winner of the IGP-1 last week, finished second with a personal best 7.85m.

Annu Rani consistent

Meanwhile national record holder Annu Rani came up with a consistent show in the women's javelin throw. Her first three throws all went past 60m and she took the gold with her opening round effort of 61.22m. The Olympic qualification standard is 64m but Rani is very well placed in the World Athletics' Road to Tokyo rankings. The javelin throw has 32 spots and Rani in 15th in the list.

Annu Rani.

 

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The 'big race' disappointment

Asian Games champion Tajinderpal Singh Toor won the men's shot put comfortably while Arokia Rajiv upset national record holder Muhammed Anas to win the men's 200m. But the big race, between World University Games champion Dutee Chand and under-20 World 400m champion Hima Das in the women's 100m, did not materialise with the latter skipping the event. And Chand won without raising a sweat while Das also had it easy in the 200m.

Amoj Jacob clocked a personal best 46s to win the men's 400m and in the women's 1500m Delhi's Chanda upset two-time Asian champion P.U. Chitra to take the title.

The third leg of the Indian Grand Prix will also be held in Patiala on March 5.

The results:

Men: 100m: 1. Krishnakumar Rane (Mah) 10.71s; 2. Amiya Kumar Mallick (Odi) 10,74; 3. Amit Tiwari (Del) 10.81. 200m: 1. Arokia Rajiv (TN) 21.24s; 2. Muhammed Anas (Ker) 21.44; 3. Ashok Kumar (Pun) 21.80. 400m: 1. Amoj Jacob (Del) 46.00s; 2. Sarthak Bhambri (Del) 47.12; 3. Angrej Singh (Har) 47.32. 1500m: 1. Ajay Kumar Saroj (UP) 3:44.31s; 2. Rahul (Del) 3:45.98; 3. Ajeet Kumar (Guj) 3:51.30. Long jump: 1. M. Sreeshankar (Ker) 8.05m; 2. Yugant Singh (UP) 7.85; 3. Muhammed Anees (Ker) 7.76. Shot Put: 1. Tajinderpal Singh (Pun) 19.49m; 2. Sahib Singh (Del) 17.69; 3. Amandeep Singh (Pun) 16.96. Javelin throw: 1. Sahil Silwal (Har) 77.40m; 2. Rohit Yadav (UP) 77.33; 3. D.P. Manu (Kar) 75.28.

Women: 100m: 1. Dutee Chand (Odi) 11.44s; 2. A.T. Daneshwari (Kar) 11.89; 3. Diandra Valladares (Mah) 11.92. 200m: 1. Hima Das (As) 23.31s; 2. Simrandeep Kaur (Del) 24.91. 400m: 1. M.R. Poovamma (Kar) 53.60s; 2. Kiran Pahal (Har) 54.88; 3. V. Subha (TN) 55.29. 1500m: 1. Chanda (Del) 4:15.54s; 2. P.U. Chitra (Ker) 4:20.98; 3. Lili Das (WB) 4:21.32. 400m hurdles: 1. R. Vithya Ramraj (TN) 59.49s; 2. Nanhi (Har) 1:00.13; 2. V.K. Salini (Ker) 1:00.44. Shot put: 1. Srishthi Vig (Del) 15.46m; 2. Kachnar Chaudhary (Raj) 14.15; 3. Tulnai Narzary (Asm) 13.95.

Javelin throw: 1. Annu Rani (UP) 61.22m; 2. Sanjana Choudhary (Raj) 53.27; 3. Sharmila Kumari (Har) 50.93.