JOIN USIndian track and field athletes clinched four medals, including a gold, as they got off their campaign at the 2018 Asian Junior Championships to a strong start here on Thursday.
Ashish Jakhar was the star among the Indians on the opening day as he set a junior national record en route to winning a gold medal in the hammer throw event.
Jakhar, a gold medallist at the 2016 Asian Juniors, threw the 6kg iron ball and chain to a distance of 76.86m at the Gifu Nagaragawa Stadium to shatter the previous mark of 75.04m that he himself had set at the Junior Federation Cup in April.
He was joined on the podium by compatriot Damneet Singh who also managed a personal best of 74.08m to clinch the silver medal.
Priyadarshini Suresh and Poonam Sonune added to the tally with bronze medals in women's triple jump and women's 5000m races respectively.
Priyadarshini leapt a personal best of 13.08m. The gold went to Vietnam's VU Thi Ngoc Ha who cleared a distance of 13.22m while China's Youqi Pan was second with a best jump of 13.21m.
Sonune, who had finished fourth at the Asian Youth Championships in 2016, timed 17:03.75 in the 5000m, finishing behind Japan's Mikuni Yada who clinched gold with a timing of 16:31.65s. China's Lihua Niu took the silver with a timing of 16:55.54 seconds.
Quartermiler Jisna Mathew qualified for the final in 54.78 seconds.
Also fastest across the heats in his event was Ajit Kumar who clocked 3:58.46 seconds in the men’s 1500m race.