Top five performers at National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships 2024

The 4x400m mixed relay team stood out as they set a new national record.

The four-day National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships 2024 held from Thursday to Sunday saw India’s top track and field athletes in action at the Tau Devi Lal Stadium in Panchkula, Haryana.

The 63rd edition of the National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships was the final Paris 2024 Olympics qualifying event for Indian track and field athletes. The athletics qualifying window for the upcoming Summer Games ended on June 30.

As designated by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI), the inter-state meet was made mandatory for Indian athletes aspiring to compete at the Paris Olympics. Consequently, beyond securing podium finishes, most Indian athletes aimed to meet the entry standards required for Paris 2024 in their respective events.

Among the standout performers were these athletes who excelled in their respective events:

Top five performers at National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships 2024

Sarvesh Kushare

In the men’s high jump event, Sarvesh Kushare continued his exceptional season. He matched the six-year-old meet record with a new season’s best performance of 2.25m. His performance cemented his position in the Road to Paris rankings where he is presently ranked 29th.

Also Read: Why DP Manu withdrew from National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships 2024?

Tajinderpal Singh Toor

In men’s shot put, Tajinderpal Singh Toor gave his all in his final attempt and seized the top spot with a throw of 19.93m. Toor is still recovering and has not yet reached his peak fitness but conveyed confidence in his preparation for Paris. Toor has also secured Paris 2024 qualification through the world rankings quota.

Avinash Sable

In the men’s 3000m steeplechase, Avinash Sable, despite not being at his best comfortably led the pack to victory by clocking 8:31.75s. With this performance, he surpassed his own meet record of 8:33.19s from five years ago in Lucknow. The national record holder, who has already achieved the Paris Olympic qualifying standard, ran at only 75-80% capacity and was confident that he was peaking at the right moment.

Also Read: What are the qualification marks of all Track & Field events for Paris Olympics 2024?

Tejas Shirse

Setting a new meet record of 13.54s, Tejas Shirse won the men’s 110m Hurdles on the final day. Despite his achievement, the 22-year-old expressed dissatisfaction as he had been aiming for the Olympic standard mark (13.27s).

Earlier, Tejas Shirse set a new men’s 110m hurdles national record with a stunning time of 13.41 seconds at the Motonet GP series, a World Athletics Continental Tour Challenger level event.

4x400m mixed relay team

The eagerly awaited race at the meet showcased a breakthrough in the national record by the 4x400m mixed relay team, though their bid for Paris qualification fell just short. Mohammed Anas, Mohammed Ajmal, Jyothika Sri Dandi and the surprise addition Kiran Pahal clocked an impressive 3:12.82s and surpassed the previous national record by nearly two seconds.

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