In one of the most heartening news for Indian athletics, Haryana’s 18-year old Neeraj Chopra shattered the world under-20 record in men’s javelin at IAAF World U20 Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland. Unfortunately, Chopra could not be included in India’s Olympic squad but he has time on his side. The Indian fans would expect him to bring laurels in the 2020 Games in Tokyo. Chopra’s stupendous 86.48-meter hurl of the spear came on the penultimate day and instantly grabbed the global athletic headlines. In London’s Anniversary Games, of which 10th Diamond League was a part, Usain Bolt flashed like a streak of lightning in 200m to announce his Rio intentions. The fastest man on earth didn’t participate in 100m sprint and was not satisfied with his 19.89s first place in 200m. But he still beat the second-placed Panamanian Alonso Edwards by 0.15s. Besides Chopra and Bolt’s performances, another world record was created last week in London. US women’s hurdler Kendra Harrison, who couldn’t qualify for Rio; had the satisfaction of breaking the women’s 100m hurdles long-standing world record by finishing in 12.20 seconds. The two major athletic events at Bydgoszcz and London were the last before the top athletes assemble at Rio de Janeiro for the Summer Games in less than two weeks’ time.
On Friday night at London’s Anniversary Games, Jamaican super-sprinter Usain Bolt produced an electric run to win 200m in style. There have been apprehensions on his performance after the hamstring tear, which forced him out of the Jamaican Olympic trials, but Bolt showed no signs of the injury in winning the event in 19.89 seconds. Panama’s Alonso Edwards was second in 20.04 and GBR’s Adam Gemili third in 20.07. Olympic and world record holder Bolt himself was not pleased with his performance. That shows his penchant for more as he prepares to travel to Brazil very soon for the Rio Games. The performance in London left no doubt about the Jamaican’s intention of seizing the unprecedented Olympic treble in August this year. Another athletic celebrity, GBR’s Mo Farah produced a world-lead in 5000m by winning with a huge margin in 12:59.29 with Farah’s compatriot Andrew Butchart taking the second place far behind in 13:14.85.
Several top global athletes in other track-and-field events; also showed their levels of Rio preparation with impressive performances. Croatia’s Sandra Perkovic recorded her fifth Diamond Race win with a huge 69.94m discus throw; China’s Gao Xinglong won men’s long jump with an 8.11m leap; USA’s Joe Kovacs was men’s shot put winner with a 22.04m hurl; Grenadian Katerina Stefanidi cleared 4.80m to win women’s Pole Vault; GBR’s Katarina Johnson-Thompson won women’s long jump with a 6.84m leap; Dutch sprinter Dafne Schippers clocked 22.13 to win women’s 200m; Frenchman Renaud Lavillenie won men’s pole vault by clearing 5.90m; Tunisia’s Habiba Ghribi won women’s 3000m steeplechase in 9:21.35; USA’s Dalilah Muhammad won women’s 400m hurdles in 53.88; Kenyan Silas Kiplagat took the annual Emsley Carr Mile in 3:53.04; GBR’s Laura Muir won women’s 1500m in 3:57.49; Spain’s Ruth Beitia took the long jump with 1.98 and USA’s Christian Taylor won men’s triple jump with a leap of 17.78 meters.