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Dutee Chand wins 100m race as Indian Athletics returns to the track
The 25-year-old Dutee, the national record holder in the event with 11.22, is yet to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics. The qualification time for the Tokyo Games is 11.15 seconds.
Dutee Chand sprinted to victory in women's 100m at the season-opening Indian Grand Prix at the National Institute of Sports in Patiala on Thursday. It was the first national-level track and field meet for seniors since the National Open Athletics Championships in Ranchi in October 2019.
However, despite the long gap and Tokyo Olympics qualification in line, several top athletes - Hima Das, Jinson Johnson, shot putter Tajinder Pal Singh Toor, quarter-miler V.K. Vismaya to name a few - gave it a miss. The thin field in the first GP was surprising and hardly a build up towards the Tokyo Olympics. With two more Grand Prix meets (February 25 and March 5) scheduled leading up to the Federation Cup in Patiala from March 15, one would expect a stronger field in the next two events.
Dutee, looking to make it to her second Olympics, clocked 11.51 to win the 100m race. Karnataka’s AT Daneswari came second (11.86) and Maharashtra’s Diandra Dudley Valladares third (11.97). Dutee, who holds the national record (11.22s), is still far from the Tokyo Olympics qualifying standard of 11.15.
“We also have the option to qualify through the world ranking, but we will also attempt to achieve the qualification time,” says N Ramesh, coach of Dutee Chand. “She last competed in March last year and it was important to start competing.”
The men’s 100m race was won by Krishnakumar Satish Rane (Maharashtra) clocking 10.68 secs. Kerala’s Muhammad Anas, the country’s leading 400m runner, took part in the 100m and finished a creditable second in 10.70 seconds. Amiya Kumar Mallick, who holds the national record (10.26) in 100m, finished third overall (10.89) competing in the B race.
In his comeback race, S Arokia Rajiv edged past Shashank Shinde to win the 200m B race in 21.40 seconds. Shashank Shinde clocked 22.21 sec in the A race after Noah Nirmal Tom (Kerala) pulled up injured inside the first 25m. Ayyasamy Dharun, who has a personal best of 48.80 seconds in 400m hurdles, clocked 51.33sec to come first. Kerala’s Eldhose Paul jumped to an impressive 16.56m to win gold in men’s triple jump
MR Poovamma (Karnataka) clocked 53.45s to comfortably beat Kiran Pahal in (54.88) and Nancy (55.40) in women’s 400m. Marena George of Kerala topped the field in women’s long jump (6.11m).
