In a bittersweet moment for Indian athletics, Jyothi Yarraji, the first Indian woman to compete in the 100m hurdles at the Paris Olympics, faced disappointment in her quest for a semifinal spot.
Jyothi Yarraji’s performance
In the initial round, Yarraji clocked 13.16 seconds in heat number four, finishing seventh out of a total of 40 runners. Despite her national record standing at 12.78 seconds, she couldn’t replicate that form on the Olympic stage.
With her automatic semifinal qualification eluding her, Yarraji entered the repechage round. In Heat 1 of the repechage, she finished fourth with a time of 13.17 seconds. Unfortunately, only the top two athletes from each heat advanced to the semifinals.
Yarraji’s participation marked a historic moment for Indian athletics. Her qualification was based on her world ranking, and she carried immense hope and pride as she stepped onto the track.
🇮🇳😓 𝗘𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗝𝘆𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶'𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗴𝗻! Jyothi Yarraji saw her #Paris2024 campaign come to an end, following her finish outside the top 2 in her heat in the repechage round.
🏃♀ She finished 4th in her heat with a timing of 13.17s.
👉 𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 @sportwalkmedia… pic.twitter.com/XfATjpcyFJ
— India at Paris 2024 Olympics (@sportwalkmedia) August 8, 2024
Despite the setback, Yarraji’s journey signifies her determination and resilience. She had matched her national record-winning run earlier in the season, but the Olympic stage posed a different challenge.
Yarraji missed the semifinals, but she still has a chance to fight back. In the repechage round, all remaining competitors (except for DNS, DNF, and DQ) will get another opportunity to qualify for the semifinals.
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