Kerala sprinter breaks national record to qualify for World Championships

New Delhi, May 16: Kerala's Muhammed Anas broke the national record in men's 400m race to win a gold medal in the third leg of Indian Grand Prix Athletics Meet in Delhi on Monday (May 15).

The 22-year-old quartermiler clocked 45.32 seconds in the race which fetched him the gold medal. In the process, he also qualified for the World Championships to be held in London in August 2017.

The minimum requirement to enter the World Championships is 45.50 seconds. Anas bettered the minimum timing in his race.

After the race speaking to media, Anas said: "It was hot and humid but every time I run I want to better my personal best and so it's a be national record today.

"Now, my focus will be to win a medal in the Asian Championships in July (in Bhubaneswar) and do my best in the World Championships."

The current men's world record is held by South Africa's Wayde van Niekerk, with a time of 43.03 seconds.

Before this race, the Kerala quartermiler had clocked 45.44 and 45.40 seconds (both national record timings) but the Athletics Federation of India did not recognise them as official. He had clocked 45.40 timing in Poland last year.

In another important event from the Athletics meet in the women's 400m race, Karnataka's M R Poovamma was up against 18-year-old Jisna Mathew from Kerala.

The rivalry between the two is getting spiced with each. After the second leg, Poovamma was on the lead but Jisna won the third leg.

OneIndia News