Rio review athletics: Lalita Babar, the face-saver

After a four-year gap it was yet another jamboree of Indian athletes, though with a bigger squad, at Rio. As expected, they return empty-handed. Their performances oscillated between mediocre and pathetic. The lone exception was Lalita Babar who qualified for the final and finished a creditable 10th in women's 3000m steeplechase. Trained by Nikolai Snesarev, known for his strict discipline, Lalita emulated PT Usha by entering the final in her event with a super performance.
All the chest-thumping performances in the run-up to the Games and unbelievable qualifications, few on the final day of the deadline, have raised serious doubts about the way athletics is administered in our country.The Athletics Federation of India (AFI), headed by former sprinter Adille Sumariwala, has a lot of explaining to do for the colossal waste funds.
Topping the list of flops was none other than triple jumper Renjith Maheswary who made it to another Games after producing this season's third-best performance in the world. The Kerala jumper, who has shamed the country time and again on the world stage, touched down at 17.30m at the Indian GP in Bengaluru in July to qualify but crashed out in the first round in Rio managing just 16.13m.
Another big flop was discus thrower Vikas Gowda who travelled to the Games despite being on the recovery path from a serious injury. The Mysore lad, who was reportedly funded to the tune of Rs 1.1 crore from the TOP scheme, ended his challenge with a best throw of 58.99m that was nearly six metres short of his best. The disheartening performances continued with Dutee Chand (100m) and Asian champion Gurmeet Singh (men's 20km walk) failing to make any impact whatsoever.
RESULTS
Men: 400m: Md Anas (45.95s) 41st; 800m: Jinson Johnson (1:47.27) 25th; Long jump: Ankit Sharma (7.67m) 24th; Triple jump: Renjith Maheswary (16.13m) 30th; Discus throw: Vikas Gowda (58.99m) 28th; Marathon: Gopi T (2::15:25s) 25th, Kheta Ram (2::15:26s) 26th, Nitendra Singh Rawat (2::22:52s) 84th; 20km walk: Manish Singh Rawat (1::21:21s), 13th, Gurmeet Singh & K Ganapathi (disqualified); 50km walk: Sandeep Kumar (4::07:55s) 35th; 4x400m relay: Kunhu Mohammed Md Anas Dharun Arokia Rajiv (3:02.24s) Disqualified Women: 100m: Dutee Chand (11.69s) 50th; 200m: Srabani Nanda (23.58s) 55th; 400m: Nirmala Sheoran (53.03s) 44th; 800m: Tintu Luka (2:00.58) 29th; 3000m steeplechase: Lalita Babar (9:22.74) 10th; Sudha Singh (9:43.29) 30th; Shot put: Manpreet Kaur (17.06m) 23rd; Discus throw: Seema Punia (57.58m) 20th; Marathon: OP Jaisha (2::47:19) 89th; Kavita Raut (2::59:29) 120th; 20km walk: Khushbir Kaur (1::40:33) 54th; Sapna Punia (did not finish); 4x400m relay: Nirmala Sheoran Tintu Luka Poovamma Raju Machettira Anilda Thomas (3::29:53) 7th in heats