Megha Pradeep secures bronze at Asian Canoe Sprint Championships 2024

By
Teja Devathoti
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11
Megha Pradeep

Indian canoeist Megha Pradeep has made her mark in the Asian Canoe Sprint Championships 2024, held in Tokyo, Japan, by securing a bronze medal. This achievement is not just a personal victory for Pradeep, but also a proud moment for Indian sports.

Megha Pradeep’s impressive form

Pradeep competed in the women’s C1 500m race at the championships, which also served as the Asian Canoe Sprint Olympic Qualifier. Racing at the Sea Forest Waterway, a venue used for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Pradeep clocked 2:28.027 to finish third. This performance has earned her a bronze medal, opening India’s tally at the championships.

The gold and silver medals in the event were claimed by Vietnam’s Diep Thị Huong (02:18.178) and Kazakhstan’s Ulyana Kisseleva (02:26.645), respectively. Despite the stiff competition, Pradeep’s determination and skill shone through, culminating in her podium finish.

This achievement is particularly noteworthy given the high stakes of the event. The championships served as the continental qualification for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Pradeep’s performance, therefore, has implications beyond the immediate glory of the medal.

However, the journey to this point was not without its challenges. Other Indian participants at the championships, such as Arjun Singh and Sunil Singh Salam in the men’s C2 – 500m final, and Parvathy Geetha and Soniya Devi Phairembam in the women’s K2 500m, could not secure a quota for the Paris 2024 Olympics.

This event, doubling up as the Paris Olympics qualifying event and the Sprint Championships began on April 18 and will conclude on April 21. Six out of the nine categories double up as qualifying categories for the upcoming Paris Olympics.

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