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Johnson, women’s 4x100m relay squad get last chance
NEW DELHI: India’s leading men’s 800 metres runner Jinson Johnson will get one last chance on Monday to qualify for the Rio Olympics.
NEW DELHI: India’s leading men’s 800 metres runner Jinson Johnson will get one last chance on Monday to qualify for the Rio Olympics.
The Army runner narrowly missed the cut at the recent interstate meet in Hyderabad, but is hopeful of making it at the Indian Grand Prix meet in Bengaluru on Monday. “It’s a good opportunity. I will use all my mental and physical energy to achieve the qualifying mark,” the 25-year-old said.
The Olympic qualifying mark is 1:46.00. Johnson ran 1:46.43 in Hyderabad. Select events will be held in the two Grands Prix meets in Bengaluru on Sunday and Monday, late additions to the calendar by the athletics federation to give one last chance for the Rio hopefuls before the July 11 deadline.
The men’s 4x100m relay is not in the schedule, but the women’s 4x100m race will be held on both days. The 4x400m relays will also be run.
Johnson won the Asian Grand Prix gold in Bangkok last year and is also the leading runner in 2016, but wasn’t sent abroad for exposure. Chief coach, Bahadur Singh, blamed Johnson’s coach, Kunhi Mohammed. “If a personal coach doesn’t support his athlete by saying he has potential to improve, I can’t push the case,” he said.
The federation’s bid to field him in a meet in Belgium on Saturday proved too late after he failed to get visa.
The Grands Prix in Bengaluru will have 23 events in all. India, ranked 12th in the world in women’s 4x400m relay, will qualify if they stay among the top 16 at the deadline. The 4x100 women’s relay team is ranked 19th.
Besides top Indian athletes, teams from Maldives and Sri Lanka are also expected to compete in Bengaluru.
