PARIS OLYMPICS 2024: KIRAN PAHAL SECURES SURPRISE BERTH IN WOMEN'S 400M, ELDHOSE PAUL OUT OF QUALIFICATION RACE

Kiran Pahal from Haryana accomplished a remarkable feat on Thursday, unexpectedly securing a spot at the Paris Olympics in the women's 400m event. She set a new personal record of 50.92 seconds during the National Inter-State Championships' inaugural day in Panchkula, surpassing the required Olympic qualification time of 50.95 seconds.

Pahal emerged victorious in her semi-final heat, outpacing her competitors, including Devy Aniba Zala from Gujarat and Sneha K from Kerala.

Prior to this, she had run a rapid 52.33 seconds in the earlier heats, improving upon her previous best of 51.84 seconds set in 2022.

Kiran's achievement marks a significant milestone as she becomes the first Indian female quarter-miler in eight years to secure an Olympic berth, following in the footsteps of Nirmal Sheoran from Haryana who competed in the 2016 Rio Games.

"It's a surprise for me. I never thought I would qualify for the Olympics and prepare for it. There is no bigger achievement than this," Kiran said after her feat.

"I was under a bit of pressure in the preliminary heats as I was running after around one year. I knew that if I do well in heats, I will do better in the semifinals because you get better runners in the semifinals."

With the performance, Kiran emerged as the second fastest Indian female 400m runner of all time. Yet to win an international medal, she has won gold in the National Inter-State Championships in 2022.

Asked if she would go for the national record time of 50.79 seconds in the final on Friday, she said, "I don't want to say this beforehand but I feel I can run faster in the final than in the semifinals."

The women's 400m national record belongs to Hima Das since 2018.

Kiran, who trains in Rohtak outside the national camp, participated in her first race of the year despite not being fully fit due to multiple hamstring injuries. Although she expressed readiness to join the 4x400m team if asked by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI), the federation typically selects only national campers for relays.

In her last 400m race at the National Open Championships in October 2023 in Bengaluru, Kiran clocked a disappointing time of 56.03s, which led to her elimination in the preliminary heats.

Originally from Ganaur village in the Sonepat district of Haryana, Kiran faced significant challenges in her career, coming from a family living in poverty. Her father, Om Prakash, who passed away in 2022 after battling a long illness involving lung problems, had been a munshi at a Tehsil court in Sonepat. Her mother, Maya Devi, is a homemaker.

Despite societal challenges and the loss of her supportive father, Kiran pursued her sporting aspirations with determination. Emotions overcame her as she spoke to reporters about her journey.

"My family is struggling currently after my father passed away two years ago. Today's Olympic qualification is a life changing moment but I don't have any sponsors to help me in my preparations for the Olympics. I really need a sponsor to help me out," she said, fighting tears.

In the medal round on Friday, Kiran will be up against the country's top quarter-milers like Jyothika Sri Dandi of Andhra Pradesh and Subha Venkatesan of Tamil Nadu and Deepanshi of Haryana.

Injured Eldhose Paul pulls out of qualification race

Commonwealth Games champion triple jumper Eldhose Paul pulled out of the race to qualify for next month's Paris Olympics due to a heel bone fracture.

The 27-year-old Paul, who was set to make a final attempt at the qualification at the ongoing National Inter-State Athletics Championships, announced his withdrawal on social media.

"I wanted to take a moment to share a personal update with all of you. Unfortunately, I sustained an injury during the last competition I took part in, which occurred towards the end of the qualifying period.

"After returning to India and undergoing further evaluation, it's been concluded that I have a fracture in the calcaneus (heel bone) that requires immediate attention," Paul wrote.

Paul picked up the injury during his final competition at the JBL Jump Fest on Alzbetina Street in Košice, where he won a bronze medal with a jump of 16.45 metres.

The athlete described the development as heartbreaking.

"This news means that my Olympic journey ends here. Words cannot express how heartbreaking this is for me. Representing my country this year would have been the pinnacle of my career.

"However, as athletes, we understand that injuries are part of the sport and I choose to look forward with optimism. As I take this time to heal and recover, I am reminded that this is not the end of my story. Thank you for being part of my journey. Your support means everything."

(with inputs from PTI)

2024-06-28T07:41:49Z dg43tfdfdgfd