Triple jumper Renjith Maheshwary qualifies for London Games

CHANDIGARH: Tamil Nadu's triple jumper Renjith Maheshwary managed a leap of 16.85m in his fifth attempt on the opening day of 16th Federation Cup Senior National Athletics Championships in Patiala to achieve the 'B' standard for the London Olympics on Saturday. The jump also fetched him a gold medal in the competition.
A relieved Maheshwery later said, "It is a big relief to qualify for Olympics early on.It's a huge psychological boost and has taken a major tension off my mind. I can prepare with an open mind, a free mind."
The national record holder also broke his own meet record of 16.72m set in 2007. "I was not expecting to qualify here and was training to go full steam in the Asian Grand Prix in Thailand to be held shortly. So, this has come as a pleasant surprise. My hard work has borne fruit. My training is in the secondary stage and I will peak near the London Olympics," the Keralaite said.
He added: "I went through a rough patch after the Commonwealth Games as I suffered a knee injury. It was a tough time as I was contemplating undergoing a surgery but gradually things improved. Thankfully, all is over now. I am fit and raring to go. If I can do well in Thailand, it will further boost my morale for the big event."
A former Asian champion and bronze medallist at the Delhi CWG Games, Renjith started with 15.84m and improved it with 16.51 and 16.56 in his next two attempts. His fifth jump saw him achieve the result.