India’s javelin thrower Annu Rani on Thursday became the first Indian to make it to back-to-back finals at the World Athletics Championships after finishing with a throw of 59.60 in her final attempt in Oregon on Thursday.
Rani began the qualification round in Group B on a bad note with a foul. But then she came up with a throw of 55.35 m later. She saved the best for the last, making a throw of 59.60 m to make it to the final.
In the group B qualification round, she finished in the fifth position and made it to the final as eighth best across both groups. “#Athletics Update @Annu_Javelin qualifies for her 2nd consecutive #Javelinthrow Final at the World Championships Her best throw being 59.60m, which came on her 3rd attempt at @WCHoregon22finishing 8th Great going!! All the best Annu Rani @g_rajaraman,” tweeted SAI Media.
Only three athletes could qualify for the final in Oregon by breaching the automatic qualification mark of 62.50 m. Japan’s Haruka Kitaguchi topped the charts in the qualification round with a throw of 64.32 m while China’s Shiying Liu was at second with a throw of 63.86 m. Finally at the third position with Lithuania’s Liveta Jasiunaite, who had the best attempt of 63.80 m.
With this, Annu Rani has buried the heartbreak of not making it to the finals of the Tokyo Olympics, in which this national record-holding athlete finished with a disappointing best attempt of 54.04 m last year. Rani was in solid form leading up to the world meet, breaking her own national record with 63.82 m attempt at an AFI Indian Open event in Jamshedpur in May 2022.
Rani will be in action on July 22 in the final. Meanwhile, India’s Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Neeraj Chopra will be in action along with Rohit Yadav in the men’s javelin qualification rounds on Friday.
World Athletics Championships 2022 is being held in Oregon. It will conclude on July 24.
