India's star javelin thrower Annu Rani shone bright as she won coveted gold for India in the women's javelin throw event at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.
Riding on best throw of the season (62.92m) Annu pocketed first gold of her career. With this India's medal tally reached to 15 in the Asian Games.
Annu made a podium finish on her fourth attempt, marking her best performance of the season. Nadeesha Dilhan Hatarabage Lekamge of Sri Lanka clinched the silver with a career-best throw of 61.57m, while China's Huihui Lyu took the bronze with a 61.29m throw on her fifth attempt.
Annu clinched her second medal at the Asian Games. Previously, the 31-year-old secured a bronze in Incheon in 2014 with a throw of 59.53m. In the 2018 Asian Games, she finished in the sixth position, during which Neeraj Chopra made history for India by clinching gold in the men's javelin event. Annu's recent gold is India's second victory in track and field on that Tuesday and the fourth in athletics overall. Earlier, Parul Chaudhary triumphed in the women's 5000m race, building on her silver from the women's 3000m steeplechase final the previous day.
Annu initiated her throws with a 56.99m mark, then bettered it with a 61.28m. Her subsequent attempt landed at 59.24m before she made her best throw of 62.92m in her fourth go. This performance positioned her in the lead. She then achieved a 57.66m throw. Although her last attempt was marked as a foul, her gold medal position was already solidified by that point.
Following her remarkable achievement at the Asian Games, she had already etched her name in history by securing a bronze medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, marking her as the first Indian woman to win a medal in javelin throw. Earlier, she broke barriers by being the first Indian woman to surpass the 60-metre threshold with a throw of 61.86 meters. Moreover, she currently holds the national record with an impressive throw of 63.82 meters, set at the Indian Open Javelin Throw Competition in 2022.
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