Glasgow (Indian) preview-Part II
Women
Saradha Narayana
and M. R. Poovamma have been entered in the individual 100 and 400
respectively. Invariably the team management prevents such runners from competing
in the individual events, once the time comes for confirming entries on the
spot, saying that they would be better off preserving their energies for the
relays. Poovamma, with a PB of 51.73, is in a position to make the final in the
one-lap race.
800m-The Kenyans
have been strong in this event and with World champion Eunice Sum in great
touch this season, it doesn’t look to be going different in Glasgow. There are
a clutch of women behind the Kenyans (the other being former world champion and
Olympic silver medallist in 2008, Janeth Jepkosgei) who are all capable of
gunning for the medals. In such company Tintu Luka might yet again find it
tough to make a dash for a minor medal. P. T. Usha’s trainee has been prepared
well this season and she is confident of bettering her National record. But
that alone may not be sufficient to get a medal. Invariably, the pace in an 800
metres is dictated by the favourite unless a ‘rabbit’ is allowed to take the
rest through a fast first lap. Tintu often tries to keep pace with the leaders
nowadays instead of front-running. Yet, on the backstraight it still becomes a
struggle for her to keep pace. And by the time the last 200 metres comes Tintu starts
drifting a bit, losing touch with the leaders. Her lack of finish has been her Achilles
at the international level and it continues to stall her in her quest for
greater glory. It will be a great achievement
if Tintu can grab a medal in such company. Ugandan Winnie Nanyondo (SB
1,58.63), Scot Lynsey Sharp (1,59.67),
Canadian Melissa Bishop (1,59.70) and England’s Jessica Judd (1,59.77) are
likely to be the other contenders with whom Tintu will have to slug it out
through the final 150 metres. Will she produce a finish hitherto unseen?
Prelims July 30, Final July 31.
400m hurdles-
Ashwini Akkunji, returning to big-time competition after her doping suspension
in 2011, is more determined than ever before to prove herself, if media reports
are any indication. With her season best
57.43, not a bad effort considering the time gap from her last competitive
hurdles, Ashwini is not among the top 12 entries in these Games. Since she is
only a reserve in the 4x400m relay, she would be allowed to run her individual
race and it should do her some good towards her preparations for the Asian
Games where she is the defending champion and might stand a better chance. Heats July 30, Final July 31.
High jump-At the
Commonwealth level this is one of the women’s events where there is only a
limited world-class talent on display. And that should certainly help India’s
Sahana Kumari aim for a medal, provided she jumps at her best (1.92) or close
to that. She had disappointed in the Olympics in 2012 by clearing just 1.80 in
the qualification round after having set that National record of 1.92 in
Hyderabad. She jumped a season best 1.83 in New Delhi in the last CWG to be
joint fourth when the title went for 1.92. The top contender this time is the
18-year-old World Youth champion from Australia, Elenor Patterson who has a
season best of 1.94 and PB of 1.96 achieved in 2013. She has seven career marks
over 1.92. Cypriot Leonita Kallenou has jumped a National record 1.92 this May and also has two other marks of 1.90 or better this season. England’s Isobel Pooley is a 1.91 jumper. The others are either in
the same range this season as Sahana (1.89) or lower. The 33-year-old Karnataka star can surely
make a determined effort to be among the medals. Prelims July 30, Final July 31.
Difficult for Mayookha
Long jump-Mayookha
Johny’s young career has seen ups and downs like no one else’s has in recent
years. Touted as the most outstanding talent since Anju Bobby George, Mayookha
is yet to realize her potential. At least that is what coaches say. She missed
a medal in the last CWG when M. A. Prajusha pulled of a surprise silver in long
jump. The gold went for 6.50 while Mayookha had jumped 6.64 in New Delhi just three months earlier. Mayookha managed only 6.30 for the sixth
place. Nerves perhaps.
This time it
will be more difficult for the Kerala athlete to snatch a medal. The field is
expected to contain Nigerian Blessing Okagbare who took a surprise bronze in
the 2008 Olympics and claimed the silver
at the 2013 World Championships.
It will also
have Englishwoman Shara Proctor (SB 6.82), Canadian Christable Nettey (6.73),
Australians Brooke Stratton (6.70) and Margaret Gayen (6.62), Nigerian Esa
Brume (6.68) and Bianca Stuart of the Bahamas (6.65). (The entries here are
taken from the Glasgow 2014 website. These are not from start-lists). Mayookha’s
best this season is 6.56.
Prelims July 30,
Final July 31.
Samuels looks favourite
Discus-This is
the event where India expects to get two medals, from both its contestants, the
defending champion Krishna Poonia and Seema Antil. India had swept the medals
last time at home, with Harwant Kaur taking the silver. Harwant did not compete
in Lucknow, nursing a back injury. Otherwise there was a good possibility of her
name being included in the squad.
The difference
between 2010 and now is the presence of former World champion Dani Samuels of
Australia. She had opted out of the New Delhi Games and, post-Games, almost
clashed with Poonia in a winner-take-all duel that failed to come off
eventually. She has her chance to prove a point. For that matter Poonia has her
chance to prove that she is the best in Commonwealth.
Samuels is in
the form of her life this season and should start firm favourite to win a title
she might have been eyeing in 2010 when she missed even coming to Delhi. She touched
a PB of 67.99 at Wiesbaden, Germany, on May 10 this year and has two other
marks over 67 metres this season apart from four other results over 65 metres.
These are impressive credentials as she stages a comeback into the top four
bracket in the world after having struggled a bit during the past three years.
Poonia, a
finalist at the London Olympics, has also coped with injuries for some time.
She has a best of 59.17 for the season which was good enough to cement her
selection (even when she was short of the standard she was picked) but the fact
that she has not crossed 60 since 2012 should be a cause for worry in the
Indian camp.
The tussle
between Poonia and Seema Antil is too well known. Seema, who also has trained
in the US this season, like Poonia, has a season best 59.72. She crossed 62 in
2012 for the first time since 2004 but was down to a best of 56.37 last year.
We are in the
dark about Poonia and Antil’s form this season since both have not competed in
many meets. In fact Antil has done only one while Poonia has participated in
three.
Jamaican Kellion
Knibb (PB 61.34 this May), New Zealnder Siositina Hakeal (59.65) and Jamaican
Danniel Thomas (59.38) are the other contestants who may spoil India’s target of
two medals from discus, which, outside of Samuels, does not have a top-20
performer in the world this season.
Prelims July 31,
Final Aug 1
Javelin- Annu
Rani’s National record of 58.83 set at the Lucknow inter-State, which ranks 36th
in the world for the season, is dwarfed by
the Commonwealth topper this season, Kim Mickle’s 66.83. The Aussie will have
two more from her country for company, Kathryn Mitchell (66.10) and Kelsey-Lee
Roberts (63.92). The experienced South African Sunette Viljoen (PB 69.35, SB
64.77) and Englishwoman Goldie Sayers (62.75) will complete the leading lineup.
In fact this event is one of the toughest in women’s throws in the games in terms of having top-ranked
athletes in the fray, with Liz Gleadle of Canada (64.50) another top-10
performer this season along with Mickle, Mitchell and Viljoen. Do we need to
discus Annu Rani’s prospects further?
Prelims July 29,
Final July 30.
Relay chances
4x100m relay-Last
time’s sensational feat of a medal will not be repeated this time, though there
are reports to suggest that coaches and others were excited about the trial
timing of 44.99. There are six teams from the Commonwealth which have run below
44 seconds this season, most of them at the World Relays at Nassau, Bahamas. You can’t expect four of them to either drop a
baton or cross the ‘zone’! It should be considered a good achievement if the
Indian team makes it to the final. Heats Aug 1, Final Aug 2.
4x400m relay-That
moment at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in 2010 is etched in memory. As a crowd
of more than 60,000 roared them towards a historic gold medal, Indian athletics
seemed to have made a mark for itself in the world arena. A bunch of ‘village
girls’ had pulled off the impossible. A year later the world came crashing down
on almost all of them when the doping scandal struck. By 2012, even with the
key members of the team under suspension, people still talked about India
getting an Olympic medal in London if the girls could return to the mainstream!
So, what are the
prospects in Glasgow? If you keep a target of 3,32 for the Indian team which
has clocked 3,32 last year and during trials, it will be around seventh in the
Commonwealth lists for the season. Jamaica tops at 3,23.26 followed by Nigeria
at 3,23.41.
A medal then
looks remote. A place in the final might just be true reward for a bunch of
hard-working girls who are trying to contribute their share towards rebuilding a team.
Heats Aug 1,
Final Aug 2
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