Annu Rani, Jyothi Yarraji, Sarvesh Kushare perform below expectations at Paris Olympics

NEW DELHI: Indian javelin thrower Annu Rani experienced a setback at the Olympics on Wednesday, failing to progress beyond the qualification round with a disappointing performance. The 31-year-old national record holder managed a best throw of 55.81m, falling short in her subsequent attempts with 53.22m and 53.55m, finishing 15th in Group A and 26th overall.

Annu Rani's current season's best is 60.68m, while her national record stands at 63.82m. Despite training abroad in preparation for the Olympics, she struggled to achieve significant distances in the event. As per PTI report, she has only surpassed the 60m mark twice in the past two years, with her gold-winning throw of 62.92m at the Asian Games being one of them. She had qualified for the Olympics through the world ranking quota.

In another disappointing outcome, 100m hurdler Jyothi Yarraji, who holds the national record, failed to secure an automatic semifinal spot. Competing in her first Olympics, she finished seventh in her Round 1 heat race, clocking 13.16 seconds to place 35th overall out of 40 competitors. The 24-year-old’s national record in the 100m hurdles is 12.78 seconds.

High jumper Sarvesh Anil Kushare also faced disappointment, failing to reach the final round. He finished 13th in Group B and 25th overall in the qualification round, clearing a height of just 2.15m. His season's best is 2.25m.

Earlier in the day, the mixed relay marathon race walk team, consisting of Suraj Panwar and Priyanka Goswami, did not finish their race. Goswami pulled out during the fourth and final leg of the race, which covered a distance of 41.4km.