FISU World University Games 2023: Jyothi Yarraji breaks national record to win bronze medal
The Indian hurdler clocked 12.78 seconds to better her own women’s 100m hurdles national record in Chengdu. Amlan Borgohain won bronze in the men’s 200m.
India’s Jyothi Yarraji clocked 12.78 seconds, a new national record, to win the bronze medal in the women’s 100m hurdles at the FISU World University Games 2023 in Chengdu, the People’s Republic of China on Friday.
The run in the final saw Jyothi Yarraji better her previous national record of 12.82s, logged at the 2022 National Open Championships, by 0.04 seconds.
The Indian hurdler, the reigning Asian champion, had earlier clocked 13.12s and 13.05s in the heats and semi-finals, respectively, to make the eight-woman final.
Slovakia’s Viktoria Forster took the gold with a personal best of 12.72 while China’s Wu Yanni finished with 12.76 to bag the silver. Jyothi Yarraji was just a whisker away from matching the Paris 2024 Olympics qualifying standard of 12.77s, set for the event.
“I was a little scared that maybe I will miss the medal,” Yarraji told CGTN Sports Scene. “But I did a PB (personal best), so it doesn’t matter which position I finish. I am pretty happy.
“I didn’t expect [a medal], because in the semi-finals and heats, I was a little clumsy. After the fifth hurdle, I lost a little balance. I need some more training and technical work,” the Indian added.
This was India’s second athletics medal at the Chengdu meet after Bhavani Bhagavathi Yadav claimed a bronze in the women’s long jump event on Wednesday.
Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Tejaswin Shankar failed to win a medal in the men’s high jump event on Thursday.
Amlan Borgohain added the third medal later in the day with a bronze in the men’s 200m event. The Indian runner clocked a season’s best 20.55, just 0.03 seconds short of his personal best and national record, to come in behind South Africa’s Isadore Tsebo Matsoso (20.36) and Japan’s Yudai Nishi (20.46).
Earlier in the day, India’s Tamilarasan Sathya finished seventh in the women’s pole vault with a 3.60 clearance. Sindhushree Ganesha, competing in the same event, failed to log a legal mark.
In the women’s 3000m steeplechase, Susmita Tigga finished 13th with a timing of 11:10.77 while compatriot Bhagyashree Navale didn’t finish the race.
India’s medals tally at the FISU World University Games 2023 now stands at 25 medals - 11 gold, five silver and nine bronze. As many as 14 medals - eight gold, four silver and two bronze - were won by India’s shooting contingent.
Around 230 Indian athletes are competing at the World University Games in Chengdu. The multi-sport meet will conclude on August 8.