Reigning Asian champion Jyothi Yarraji led India’s dominant performance at the Taiwan Open International Athletics Meet on Saturday, clinching gold in the women’s 100m hurdles with yet another strong sub-13-second finish.
Yarraji clocked 12.99 seconds at the Taipei Municipal Stadium, finishing ahead of Japan’s Asuka Terada (13.04s) and Chisato Kiyoyama (13.10s), who settled for silver and bronze respectively.
This marks a continuation of fine form for the 25-year-old, who won gold at the Asian Championships in South Korea just over a week ago with a time of 12.96 seconds.
Her national record stands at 12.78 seconds.
Joining her on the top of the podium was fellow national record holder Tejas Shirse, who triumphed in the men’s 110m hurdles with a time of 13.52 seconds, the second-fastest of his career.
Shirse, 23, was followed by Taiwan’s Hsieh Yuan-kai (13.72s) and Kuei-Ru Chen (13.75s). His national record is 13.41 seconds.
India also showcased strength in the relays. The men’s 4x100m team of Gurindervir Singh, Animesh Kujur, Manikanta Hoblidhar, and Amlan Borgohain secured gold with a time of 38.75 seconds, narrowly missing their own national record of 38.69s, set earlier this year at the National Relay Carnival in Chandigarh.
Despite the strong finish, the team fell short of the 38.20-second mark currently required to qualify for the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, with Nigeria and the Netherlands currently holding the final two slots.
In the women’s 4x100m relay, the Indian quartet of Sudheeksha Vadluri, Sneha Sathyanarayana Shanuvalli, Abinaya Rajarajan, and Nithya Gandhe clinched gold with a time of 44.06 seconds.
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While impressive, it was outside the national record of 43.37 seconds set in 2021 by the star-studded lineup of Archana S, Dhanalakshmi, Hima Das, and Dutee Chand.
India’s medal haul was further boosted by Abdulla Aboobacker, who took gold in the men’s triple jump with a leap of 16.21 meters, and Pooja, who won the women’s 1500m in 4:11.63.
Aboobacker, however, was well off his personal best of 17.19m. Pooja, who won silver at last month’s Asian Championships, holds a personal best of 4:09.52 from 2023.
