Rohit secures gold medal with a remarkable performance.

In a remarkable display of athletic prowess, Rohit Yadav achieved a personal best of 87.68 meters to secure the gold medal in the men’s javelin event at the World Athletics Continental Tour Silver meet held at Kalinga Stadium on Saturday. The event, which featured a prize pool of $75,000, also saw 19-year-old sprinter Abinaya Rajarajan shine brightly, clocking an impressive 11.34 seconds to win the women’s 100 meters, setting a new National under-20 record.

Yadav's journey to victory was not without its challenges. After a disappointing seventh-place finish at the Commonwealth Games with a throw of 81.56 meters, he faced a slip during his second attempt at the meet. However, he rebounded with a throw of 81.82 meters in his penultimate attempt, before surpassing his previous best of 87.05 meters, achieved at the inter-State meet in June. His final throw not only clinched him the gold but also positioned him as the fourth-best javelin thrower in the world this season, trailing only behind Neeraj Chopra, who leads with 88.05 meters. “I gave it my all in the end. I hope to replicate it in the Asiad,” Yadav expressed after his victory.

Abinaya Rajarajan's performance was equally captivating. After recovering from injuries sustained during the Asian Indoor Championships in February, she demonstrated remarkable speed and rhythm, reclaiming the National under-20 record she previously held at 11.54 seconds. Her new record of 11.34 seconds edged out the previous mark of 11.53 seconds set by Nipam. Overwhelmed with emotion, Abinaya shared, “I was about to cry towards the end as I knew I was going to break the record,” while expressing gratitude to her father, Rajarajan, and her coach, Sreenivasan Ramaiah.

In addition to Yadav and Rajarajan, several other Indian athletes excelled at the meet. Vithya Ramraj secured the women’s 400 meters gold with a season-best time of 51.96 seconds. Long jumpers M. Sreeshankar and Ancy Sojan also made headlines, with Sreeshankar achieving a distance of 8.07 meters and Sojan reaching 6.71 meters, contributing to a total of nine gold medals won by Indian competitors. As the athletes prepare for the upcoming Asian Games, their performances at this meet serve as a promising indicator of their potential success on the international stage.