Pooja Singh’s seventh-place finish caps India’s three-medal World Athletics U20 campaign

Eugene, Aug 10 (IANS) National senior record holder Pooja Singh finished a disappointing seventh in the women’s high jump final as India wrapped up their World Athletics U20 Championships campaign with three medals.

The 19-year-old Pooja entered the competition as one of the top contenders after setting a national senior record of 1.93m earlier this year. However, she could only clear 1.84m in the final. She then failed all three attempts at 1.87m and had to exit the competition.

Australia’s Izobelle Louison-Roe won the gold medal with a clearance of 1.92m. Hungary’s Lilianna Batori and Spain’s Aitana Alonso took silver and bronze, respectively, after both cleared 1.90m.

Earlier this season, Pooja had a great run, winning gold at the Asian U20 Athletics Championships in May with her record-breaking 1.93m clearance. She is also the current champion at the Senior Asian Athletics Championships.

India’s women’s 4x400m relay team faced challenges, finishing ninth and last in the final with a time of 3:45.28. The Indian team included Bhoomika Nehate, Tahura Khatun, Tanu Chaudhary, and Thiya Arumugam.

The United States won the gold medal in 3:29.15, with Australia taking silver in 3:31.39 and Great Britain claiming bronze in 3:32.08.

India finished the championships with two silver medals and one bronze, matching their overall medal tally from the 2021 and 2022 editions.

Ashish Yadav started India’s medal count with silver in the men’s javelin throw. Basant Kumar Meghwal added another silver in the men’s high jump, while Shahnavaz Khan secured bronze in the men’s long jump.

India’s growing presence at the World Athletics U20 Championships is a significant change from its past record. Between 2002 and 2018, the country won only four medals, which included gold medals for Neeraj Chopra in the men’s javelin throw in 2016 and Hima Das in the women’s 400m in 2018.

Seema Antil won India’s first-ever medal at the championships when she took silver in the women’s discus throw at the 2002 edition in Jamaica. Navjeet Kaur Dhillon later won bronze in the same event in 2014 in the USA.

India further increased its medal tally at the 2021 edition, where Amit won silver in the men’s 10,000m race walk, and Shaili Singh claimed silver in the women’s long jump. The mixed 4x400m relay team also won bronze.

At the 2022 championships, Selva Prabhu Thirumaran won silver in the men’s triple jump, while the mixed 4x400m relay team finished second. Rupal Chaudhary added a bronze in the women’s 400m.

India managed just one medal at the 2024 edition, with Aarti winning bronze in the women’s 10,000m race walk.

–IANS

hs/