New Delhi: India’s ace discus thrower Seema Antil-Punia secured her berth for the 2016 Olympic Games in style at the Pat Young Throwers Classic held in California on Sunday. The reigning Asian Games champion hurled the discus to 62.62 metres – bettering the OG qualification mark of 61 metres.
The performance was even more gratifying for the former IAAF World Junior Championships Bronze medallist as she also won the Gold medal at the California competition and beat the 2008 Olympic champion Stephanie Brown Trafton who won the Silver with a throw of 60.50 metres.
An elated Seema Antil-Punia who made her Olympics debut in 2004 and won back-to-back medals in three consecutive CWG since 2006, said, “There is a sea change from 2004 up to now. Discus throwing is my passion. This time I didn’t have much time to prepare, but I already have a gut feeling that Rio will be my best Olympic Games.”
Krishna Poonia throws 57.97m
Meanwhile, the 2010 CWG women discus champion Krishna Poonia won the Silver medal at a qualification completion held at Chula-Vista Olympic Training Centre, San Diego, with a throw of 57.97 metres.
Tintu Luka finishes fourth
Earlier, late on Saturday, 2015 Asian champion in 800, Tintu Luka, who has already qualified for the Rio OG, finished in fourth place at the British Milers Club Grand Prix 2016 at Watford, clocking 2:02.79sec.
Gold for Annu Rani, Chopra takes Silver
Meanwhile, India’s 19-year-old javelin sensation Neeraj Chopra won the Silver medal at a qualification completion held in Putbosstadion, Oordegem-Lede, Belgium. The 2016 SAF Games champion threw the javelin to a distance of 75.52m while the top position was bagged by Dutchman Mart Berge Ten with a winning throw of 77.43 metres.
Amongst the other Indian throwers, Shivpal Singh finished third with a throw of 73.42 metres while National record-holder Rajender Singh finished in fifth place with a throw of 71.22 metres. The 2014 Asian Games Bronze medalist, Annu Rani bagged the Gold in the women’s javelin throw with an effort of 54.61 metres.
In the women’s 200 metres race, Srabani Nanda finished in eight place with a timing of 23.84sec. Jamile Samuel of the Netherlands took the top honours, clocking 23.12sec.
