Asian Athletics Championships: India's Jyothi Yarraji wins historic gold medal in women's 100m hurdles

Jyothi Yarraji created history on Thursday (July 13) by becoming the first-ever Indian woman athlete to win a gold medal in women’s 100m hurdles at the ongoing Asian Athletics Championships in Bangkok. The 23-year-old, who in 2023 itself, ran sub-13 seconds six times, clocked 13.09 seconds at the Asian meet to finish first.

Regarded as a special talent, Jyothi, during the heat, clocked 12.98 seconds. But her gold medal-winning finish didn’t convince her coach James Hillier, who felt she wasn’t at her best but delivered in the end, which matters.

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Following the history-making moment for her country, Jyothi said she had prepared well for the race but couldn’t attain her best timing due to the loss in rhythm following a slip after the seventh hurdle. Jyothi added though she expected better from herself on the day, she is happy to cross the finish line ahead of everyone else and is pleased with her consistency.

“I had prepared really well and felt it was my day, but it was my bad luck with the rain pouring. I slipped a bit after the seventh hurdle and lost the rhythm, so I couldn’t clock a great time. I expected a new personal best today. But I am happy that I won a medal, and I am really pleased with my consistency,” Jyothi said after the race, as quoted by the Indian Express.

Her coach Hillier also echoed the exact words, saying Jyothi didn’t have a clean race, but what matters is she won the gold. He added had she not slipped at the seventh hurdle, Jyothi would have completed it four or five meters ahead of her opponents.

“It wasn’t a clean race, but in the end, she won and that matters. She almost slipped on the 7th hurdle, but I think that was fine. That was the reason she didn’t seem very happy at the finish line. She could have easily finished 4 to 5 metres ahead of her competitors,” said coach Hillier, athletics director at Reliance Foundation, who has been training Jyothi since 2021.

Meanwhile, India has won six medals so far, including three gold and as many bronze. Besides Jyothi, Abdulla Aboobacker finished first in Men’s triple jump with 16.92m, while Ajay Kumar Saroj, who won gold medal during the 2017 edition, stood tall in the Men’s 1500m with a 3:41.51s finish.

Abhishek Pal in Men’s 10000m, Aishwarya Kailash Mishra in Women’s 400m and Tejaswin Shankar in Men’s Decathlon - all won bronze medals.

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