Sudha Singh took the rain-lashed inter-state athletic championship by storm on Thursday with a national record in the 3,000m steeplechase. The 27-year-old Uttar Pradesh livewire lowered her own mark with a scintillating run in 9:45.60 seconds.
Sudha, gold medallist at the 2010 Asian Games, also qualified for August’s World Championship.
Kerala rewrote the meet record in the men’s sprint relay. K.G. Renjith ran a superb second leg to hand the advantage to Kerala after Tamil Nadu had taken the lead. The winners comprising Anuroop John, Renjith, Shameer Mon and Rahul G. Pillai stopped the clock at 40.49 seconds, just 0.01 ahead of the previous record. The women’s 4x100m gold also went to Kerala.
The third day of the premier national event certainly belonged to Sudha who was beside herself with joy after setting the meet’s only national record so far. “I’m thrilled beyond words because never did I imagine that I was on course for a national mark. I was only thinking about the meet record. This is unbelievable,” she said.
The conditions were soggy but that didn’t deter the pocket dynamite from UP. Armed with a ready smile and rustic charm, Sudha wowed everyone after her record-shattering run. “I have always done well in Chennai and today turned out to be unexpectedly special,” she said.
Sudha, who was well ahead of the ‘B’ qualification mark of 9:48.00 for the worlds, said she would approach next month’s Asian Championship in Pune with confidence.
“I was only able to win silver medals in the last two editions of the ATF. Today’s time will be good enough for first place in Pune. I have had enough of silver. I want gold this time,” she added.
A highly-anticipated high jump duel between Kerala’s Jithin C. Thomas and Nikhil Chittarasu of Tamil Nadu fizzled out, with neither touching 2.20m. Jithin claimed the gold for clearing 2.17 with his first jump. Nikhil had to be content with silver as he took three attempts to sail over the same height.
Mayookha Johny failed to deliver the distance she had set for herself in the triple jump, even though the Kerala star won the gold without much sweat. She wasn’t happy with her 13.58m.
“I was bad today. I need to cross 14m to think of winning a medal at the Asian Championship. I’m doing better in the long jump these days. I guess I will focus on it in Pune,” said Johny, who won the long jump gold here on Day One.