Indian duo out of worlds finals

Indian athletics faced a disappointing day at the World Athletics Championships as national record holders Gulveer Singh and Annu Rani failed to advance to the finals in their respective events on Friday. Gulveer, competing in the men’s 5000m, and Rani, in the women’s javelin throw, both delivered performances far below their season bests, ending hopes of adding to India’s medal tally.

Gulveer, who had earlier finished 16th in the 10,000m race on September 14, clocked 13:42.34 in heat two of the 5000m, his slowest timing this season and significantly behind his national record of 12:59.77. He narrowly missed qualifying for the finals, as only the top eight athletes from each heat progressed to the medal round, finishing 27th overall out of 39 participants.

Meanwhile, 33-year-old Annu Rani, making her fifth World Championships appearance, struggled to regain her best form in Tokyo. She produced a throw of 55.18m in Group A of the qualification round, finishing 15th in her group and 29th overall out of 36 competitors. Rani had shown promise earlier this season with a 62.59m throw but fell short of her national record of 63.82m set in 2022. She had reached the finals in 2019 and 2022, with her best finish being seventh. However, this year, like in 2017 and 2023, she exited at the qualification stage.

The duo’s early exits underline the stiff competition at the global stage, leaving Indian athletics fans hoping for a stronger showing in upcoming events.