World Athletics under-20 championships | Shaili tops qualification round

Shaili Singh, one of India’s brightest prospects for the 2024 Paris Olympics, entered the women’s long jump final after topping the qualification round with 6.40m at the World Athletics under-20 championships in Nairobi on Friday.

The 17-year-old from Jhansi, coached by Robert Bobby George at the Anju Bobby Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, opened with 6.34m, narrowly missing the automatic qualification mark of 6.35. Saili then produced her best in the last round.

Sweden’s under-20 European champion Maja Askag, who won the triple jump on Friday with an effort of 13.75m, was second in qualification with 6.39.

While Shaili was flying high, another medal hope Kunwer Ajai Raj Singh Rana (73.68m) was fifth in men’s javelin while teammate Jay Shah (70.74m) was sixth. Finland’s Janne Laspa won the gold with 76.46m.

Nandini Asagara was sixth in her women’s 100m hurdles semifinal in 14.16s. She was 19th overall. She had clocked 14.18 in round one.

In men’s 110m hurdles, Tejas Shirse was fifth in his heat in 13.87s and crashed out. Pooja was far away from her personal best (4:19.58s) in the women’s 1500m heat, clocking 4:37.85, and finished 11th in her group and 19th overall. Sunil Joliya was also 11th in the men’s 3000m steeplechase heat (22nd overall) with 9:49.23s. Shanmuga Srinivas was below his personal best (21.03s) in the men’s 200m first round. His 21.33 for the fifth spot in his heat (23rd overall) was not enough.

Frenchman Erwan Konate (long jump, world-leading 8.12m), Belarus’ Matvei Volkov (men’s pole vault, 5.45m), Czech Republic’s Jan Dolezalek (men’s hammer throw, 77.83m), host Kenya’s Jackline Chepkoech (women’s 3000m steeplechase, 9:27.40s) and neutral athlete Violetta Ignatyeva (women’s discus, 57.84m, born in Russia) won the other golds on Friday.