Shaili tops long jump qualification, in final

NAIROBI: Long jumper Shaili Singh lived up to the expectations as she made it to the finals after topping the qualification round with an effort of 6.40 metres in the U-20 World Athletics Championships here on Friday.

The 17-year-old, considered one of the brightest upcoming stars in Indian athletics, achieved her best of the day in her third and final jump after starting off with a 6.34m in

Group B. Her second jump recorded 5.98m. She was one of three long jumpers who secured automatic qualification, set at 6.35m, for the final. She would have made the grade on the strength of her opening effort of 6.34m but chose to strain every sinew on her last attempt to gain the psychological edge going into Sunday’s final.

Sweden’s 18-year-old Maja Askag, who had won the European U-20 title last month, qualified as second best overall after winning Group A with a best jump of 6.39m. Lissandra Maysa

Campos (6.36m) of Brazil, Shantae Foreman (6.27m) of Jamaica and Mariia Horielova (6.24m) of Ukraine, who qualified as third, fourth and fifth respectively, have jumped beyond 6.40m this season.

Shaili, who had won the long jump event at the National (Senior) Inter-State Championships in June with an effort of 6.48m, is the current U-18 world No.2 and U-20 national record holder. The Jhansi-born was raised by a single mother who worked as a tailor. She currently trains at the academy of former long jumper

Anju Bobby George in Bengaluru and coached by Anju’s husband Bobby George.

In men’s javelin throw final, Kunwar Ajai Raj Singh Rana raised hopes with his second best throw of the year before finishing fifth. The 19-year-old rose to bronze medal position with a 73.68m fourth round throw, his best of the day, but Nigeria’s Chnecherem Nnamdi regained third place with 74.48m. In the fifth round, Poland’s Eryk Kolodziejczak also bettered the Indian’s best throw to nudge ahead to fourth. Jay Kumar took sixth with a best effort of 70.74m.

In other events, Nandini Agasara made it to the women’s 100m hurdles semi-finals after finishing fourth in her heat in 14.18 seconds. Though she clocked a faster 14.16 seconds in the semis, her journey ended there as she was sixth.

Shanmuga Srinivas Nalubothu clocked 21.33 seconds in men’s 200m heats—his second fastest time over the distance this year—but that was not good enough to take him to the semifinals.