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India’s Ashish Yadav and T. Dharanidharan kept the country’s medal hopes alive after both qualified for the men’s javelin throw final at the World Athletics U20 Championships Oregon 26 on Tuesday.
Competing in separate qualification groups, the Indian duo booked their places in the final despite neither crossing the automatic qualifying mark of 72.50m. Ashish produced the better of the two performances with a best throw of 69.87m, finishing second in Group A and second overall, while Dharanidharan’s 68.07m effort saw him finish fifth in Group B and scrape through as the 12th and final qualifier.
South Africa’s Jan-Hendrick Heymans was the only athlete to breach the automatic qualification standard, launching the javelin 76.02m to top the standings and establish himself as the favourite for the gold medal.
QUALIFYING BATTLE
The men’s javelin qualification turned out to be far more challenging than expected, with only Heymans managing to clear the 72.50m automatic qualifying mark. The remaining 11 places in the final were decided based on the best performances across the two qualification groups.
Ashish was one of the standout performers behind Heymans, finishing ahead of Poland’s Aleksander Wojna (69.80m) and China’s Yang Zhaoyi (69.43m), who qualified in third and fourth respectively. Dominica’s Addison James (68.87m) and fellow South African Marques Olivier (68.76m) also progressed comfortably.
Dharanidharan had to wait until the end of the competition before confirming his place in the final. His throw of 68.07m ultimately proved enough to secure the last available qualifying spot, edging out Great Britain’s Charlie Mason, who finished 13th with 67.77m.
NEERAJ’S FOOTSTEPS
While their qualification marks may appear modest, both Indians have shown significantly better form this season.
Ashish entered the championships with a personal and season’s best of 74.49m, while Dharanidharan boasts a personal and season’s best of 73.42m, achieved at the Indian Athletics Series-9 in Ludhiana in June. Those performances suggest both athletes have considerably more in reserve heading into the final.
The World Athletics U20 Championships also holds special significance for Indian javelin. It was at the 2016 edition in Bydgoszcz that Neeraj Chopra announced himself to the world by producing a stunning 86.48m throw, breaking the five-year-old world U20 record and becoming India’s first-ever gold medallist at the championships.
Nearly a decade later, Ashish and Dharanidharan have earned the chance to follow in those footsteps. Although Heymans will start the final as the athlete to beat after his commanding qualification display, the Indian pair possess the pedigree to challenge for the podium if they can reproduce the form that has already seen them throw beyond 73 and 74 metres this season.
The men’s javelin throw final is scheduled for August 7 at 8:15 AM, where India will hope its young duo can add another memorable chapter to the country’s growing legacy in the event.
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