World Athletics Cross Country Championships 2024: Indian athletes make strides at event despite few absentees

Many prominent Indian athletes were absent from the event.

The World Athletics Cross Country Championships 2024 concluded in Belgrade, Serbia on the 30th of March, in five separate competitions, which included senior men and women, junior men and women and a mixed relay event.

Nine sets of medals were handed out to recognize excellence in both team and individual categories. Kenya, Ethiopia and Uganda clinched most podium spots, with Great Britain being the only other nation to secure a place on the podium.

Last week, the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) unveiled the roster for the championships featuring three male athletes—Gulveer Singh, Karthik Kumar and Hemraj Gujjar alongside three female athletes—Ankita, Seema and Anjali Kumari who actively participated in the championship on Saturday.

In the senior women’s category, out of the initial 84 participants, Anjali Kumari secured the 80th position with a timing of 44:02s, whereas Seema finished at the 36th position clocking in at 34:35s and Ankita claimed the 51st spot with a timing of 35:26s.

In the senior men’s category, Gulveer Singh finished 43rd with a time of 30:07s closely followed by Karthik Kumar in 45th place with a mere two-second difference crossing the finish line at 30:09s. Additionally, Hemraj Gujjar from India clinched the 88th position with a timing of 33:56s.

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The absence of two top contenders from India was keenly felt, as Parul Chaudhary who had previously achieved a top 20 finish in the women’s section with a time of 35.39s in 2023 did not participate. Additionally, Avinash Sable’s absence was palpable given his standout performance as the best Indian contender in the men’s race during his senior debut, finishing 35th with a time of 31:43s in the challenging 10-kilometer event.

However, amidst the noticeable void, one can discern a silver lining in the form of improved timings across the board. The nuanced changes in rankings indicate the dynamic nature of competition and the increasing intensity within this athletic sphere of long-distance races.

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