Commonwealth Games 2014: Seema Punia wins silver, Krishna Poonia disappoints
Defending champion had to be content with fifth place after disappointing show
By : DC Correspondent
Update: 2014-08-02 04:05 GMT
Glasgow: Seema Punia bagged a silver for India while defending champion Krishna Poonia finished a disappointing fifth in the women's discus throw competition at the 20th Commonwealth Games here today.
Seema, who had won a bronze in 2010 Delhi Games and a silver in 2006 Melbourne, threw the discus to 61.61m, her season's best, to grab the silver while a struggling Krishna could just come up with a below-par effort of 57.84m.
Seema achieved her best throw in the penultimate attempt after coming up with 53.64m, 58.87m and 58.62m in her first three throws. Her fourth and final attempts were foul throws.'
The 31-year-old Seema from Haryana has now won a medal in each of the last three Commonwealth Games. Former world champion Dani Samuels won the gold comfortably with a throw of 64.88m which she achieved in her third attempt. Jade Lally of England won the bronze with a best throw of 60.48m.
Krishna has been struggling all throughout the season even after recovering from a groin injury post the 2012 London Olympics. Her season's best was 59.17m though she holds the national record of 64.76m. Krishna, who qualified as 11th yesterday, began with a foul throw and her five attempts later on read 52.79m, 57.84m, 56.83m, 56.55m, 55.58m.
Meanwhile, Sahana Kumari finished a disappointing eighth in the women's high jump finals with a best effort of 1.86m. Sahana has a personal best of 1.92m and season's best of 1.89m.
Eleanor Patterson of Australia won the gold with 1.94m. Meanwhile, it was curtains for India in the men's 4x400m relay event after the quartet of Kunhu Muhammed Pathanpurakkal, Jithu Baby, Jibin Jibin Sebastian and Arokia Rajiv was disqualified in the preliminary round.