JOIN USAthletes bank on fast track to get cracking
From the hot oven called Kochi to the much cooler Coimbatore, the athletics caravan moves on, with the second Indian Grand Prix here on Friday. The athletes who sweated it out in the first meet should certainly welcome the change as they look to up the performances on a new track at the Nehru stadium.
Though it has hosted a couple of junior competitions, this will be the first national-level event on this track, described as a ‘fast one’ by athletes as well as coaches.
The first meet at Kochi did witness a clutch of good performances but the season needs a few more of those to set it afire and it will be great if the track here aids the athletes in that goal.
One man who could find the conditions ideal will be quartermiler KM Binu, making a return to the track after a ten-month break. Binu, who narrowly missed the qualifying mark for the Beijing Olympic Games, has been quietly preparing to return to action after that disappointment.
In good shape
“I had worked really hard but after failing to make it narrowly (timing 46.03 seconds as against the standard of 45.97), I felt a bit dejected and decided to take a break. But I am in good shape now. I think I can do well here but it’s the first competition and you need two-three races to get back into stride,” said Binu, a semifinalist at the Athens Olympic Games.
Competition for Binu should come from Bibin Mathew, the winner in Kochi, with Joseph Abraham and P Shankar moving on to their primary event, the 400M hurdles, which was not on the card in Kochi.
The sprints generated some excitement in the first competition, with HM Jyothi coming up with a career-best showing in the women’s 100, though it was assisted by a tailwind of 2.9 m/s. There is no 100M in the programme here. Instead, the runners will be lining up in the 200M, with Jyothi stating that her intention was to set another personal best. The men’s event though will be without a top contender, with BG Nagaraj pulling out due to a hamstring injury.
Krishna’s goal
The women’s discus throw threesome – Krishna Poonia, Seema Antil and Harwant Kaur – had a low-key beginning but in better weather conditions, they too will be looking for improvement. “I am looking at somewhere close to 60M,” said Krishna, the winner at Kochi with a throw of 57.74M. Seema, who won the silver at 54.39, and Harwant, who struck bronze at 52.42, both have their work cut out.
Shot putter Om Prakash, an impressive performer in the first meet with a 19.74M effort, will miss the second leg. The ONGC athlete is scheduled to compete in the Doha Super Grand Prix on Friday, continuing his quest for a spot at the World Championships in August. While his absence will be felt in the shot put ring, the desire to rub shoulders against tougher competition away from home certainly needs to be appreciated.
Meanwhile, two of the four Malaysian athletes who are competing in the series will miss Friday's events because of an upset stomach, diluting the international flavour further.
The events:
Men: 200M, 400M, 1500M, 5000M, 400M hurdles, triple jump, shot put, discus throw, javelin throw, 4x100M relay.
Women: 200M, 400M, 1500M, 5000M, discus throw, long jump, 4x100M relay.