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Larry Eder
Guest
One national record, many personal bests: the highlight of Indian athletics on the penultimate day of the Asian Games.
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Vithya Ramraj had unfinished business from the last Asian Games, where she equaled PT Usha’s 400 m hurdles record set at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. She went into the 400 m hurdles to beat that mark, and three of the women were abreast: the UAE girl sprinter to gold and a Games record, while Vithya Ramraj erased PT Usha’s mark of 55.48, clocking 54.75 sec.
Men’s 1,500m, Asian Games, photo by Asian Athletics
Gulveer Singh, who claimed a silver in the 10000 m, came back a determined in the 1500 m, taking the lead at the bell and giving it his best. Though the Japanese outsprinted him to gold, his silver came with a personal best of 3:36.72 seconds. Others improved their personal bests: Yashveer Singh claimed silver to the world’s number one, Rumesh Pathirage of Sri Lanka.
Seema Kalliraman takes 4th in PB in discus, Asian Games, photo by Asian Athletics
Seema Kalliraman also set a personal best in the women’s discus with 59.88 m, though she finished fourth. Parul, who had set a national record in the 3000 m steeplechase to claim a bronze, claimed her second bronze medal today behind Yavi of Bahrain and Tanaka of Japan. The 4 x 100 m women delighted in the heats, only to disappoint in the final with some poor baton exchanges and finish fourth.