2022 World Championships in Athletics: A final throw attempt of 59.60m, albeit well below her season best, ensured javelin thrower Annu Rani qualified for her second consecutive World Championships final. Follow the updates of the 2022 World Championships in Athletics LIVE with InsideSport.IN
#Athletics Update 🚨@Annu_Javelin qualifies for the 2nd consecutive #javelin throw Final at the World Championships 💪
His best throw was 59.60m, which came on her third shot attempt. @WCHoregon22 finishing eighth
Great march!!
All the best Annu Rani 👍
📸 @g_rajaraman pic.twitter.com/PHbQueIIyx– Medios SAI (@Media_SAI) July 21, 2022
Annu nearly ended her campaign after starting with a free kick and 55.35m on her second attempt, but sent her spear 40cm short of 60m on her third and final attempt on the fifth day of competitions here.
They finished fifth in the Group B qualifying round and reached the final as the eighth best between the two groups.
However, the 29-year-old national record holder must be disappointed that she failed to touch the 60m mark, but now she has a chance to make amends in Saturday’s final (6.50am IST). She has a season and personal best of 63.82m.
Those who touched the 62.50 m mark or the best at least 12 of the two groups reached the final. Only three competitors were able to pass the automatic qualifying mark of 62.50m.
Season leader Maggie Malone of the USA fell short of reaching the final after finishing 12th in Group B and 22nd overall with a best throw of 54.19m, while that defending champion Kelsey-Lee Barber of Australia entered the medal round as the fifth best player with a best effort of 61.27m.
Annu has qualified for her second consecutive World Championship final in her third appearance in the showpiece. She had finished eighth in the final with a best throw of 61.12m at the last edition of 2019 in Doha. She failed to qualify for the 2017 final in London after finishing 10th in her qualifying group.
She had broken her own national record with a throw of 63.82m while winning gold during the India Open Javelin Throw competition in May at Jamshedpur.
2022 World Championships in Athletics: Javelin thrower Annu Rani qualifies for second consecutive World Championships final
In the women’s 5000m, Parul Chaudhary failed to reach the semi-finals after finishing 17th in heat number 2 and 31st overall with a time of 15:54.03. The 27-year-old has a season best of 15:39.77 and a personal best of 15:36.03.
Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra will compete in the men’s javelin throw Group A qualifying round on Friday (5:35am IST). Tokyo Games silver medalist Jakub Jakub Vadlejch of the Czech Republic and London 2012 Olympic Games gold winner Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago will be in their group.
Defending champion Anderson Peters of Grenada will compete in qualifying Group B. The final will take place on Sunday.