World Athletics Championship: Annu Rani qualifies for second straight final

A throw of just 40 cm short of 60m ensured Annu Rani’s qualification for the finals of the World Athletics Championship in Eugene, Oregon. Earlier Annu started with a foul throw and 55.35m in her second try and looked out of the reckoning. However in her final try, with a throw of 59.60 m, Annu managed to get into the finals of the World Championship on the fifth day of competitions in Eugene.

Annu finished fifth in Group B and got into the finals as eighth best across the two groups. The Meerut born however would be disappointed with having missed the 60m mark. She has a personal best of 63.82m and would be looking to get closer to it in the World Championship Final on Saturday, 23 July 2022.

Automatic qualification was given to those touching 62.50m, but only three throwers could achieve this mark. Rest nine were promoted based on the distance of their throw. Maggie Malone of the USA who was the season leader could not qualify for the finals as she could only manage a throw of 54.19. She finished 12 in Group B and 22 overall. Australian, Kalsey-Lee Barber who won the championship last year came fifth with an effort of 61.27m.

This would be the second final for the 29-year-old Annu Rani. In the last edition of the finals in 2019, she finished eighth with a throw of 61.12m. She could not qualify for the same two years prior to 2017.

Her best throw came during the Indian Open Javelin Throw Competition in May in Jamshedpur. With a throw of 63.82m, she won the gold and broke her previous personal best as well.

Olympic gold medallist Neeraj Chopra meanwhile will compete in the qualification round Group A of the men’s Javelin throw on 22nd July. He will compete with 2012 London Olympics gold winner Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad & Tobago and Tokyo Games silver medalist Jakub Jakub Vadlejch of the Czech Republic, both of whom are in Group A as well.