Discuss thrower Seema Punia books Rio Olympics berth

New Delhi: Discus thrower Seema Punia booked her Rio Olympics berth in style — grabbing a gold with her season’s best effort — at the Pat Young’s Throwers Classic 2016 at Salinas, California, on Sunday.

The reigning Asian Games gold medallist hurled the discus to 62.62m, overhauling the Rio qualification mark of 61.00m. Seema pipped 2008 Olympic discus throw champion Stephanie Brown-Trafton of USA for the top prize.

An elated Seema, who made her Olympic debut in 2004, said, “There is a sea change from 2004 up to now. Discus throw is my passion. This time I didn’t have much time to prepare, but I have a gut feeling that Rio will be my best Olympic Games.”

Seema, now training in the US under the government’s Target Olympic Podium Scheme, clinched the gold in the Incheon Asiad with a throw of 61.03m.

Meanwhile, 2010 Commonwealth Games women’s discus champion Krishna Poonia picked up a silver medal at a qualification competition in the Chula-Vista Olympic Training Centre, San Diego, with a throw of 57.97 metres.

Tintu disappoints
Olympics-bound Tintu Luka ran a mediocre 800m race to finish fourth in England as Indians continued their efforts to qualify for Rio at various venues in Europe.

Reigning Asian champion Luka clocked 2 minutes and 2.79 seconds. Meanwhile, 2014 Asian Games bronze winner Annu Rani bagged the gold in the women’s javelin throw with an effort of 54.61m at Putbosstadion in Belgium. The Games qualification standard in this event is 62.00m.

In the men’s javelin, the 19-year-old Neeraj Chopra took the silver with a throw of 75.52m while Shivpal Singh finished third with 73.42m. National record holder Rajender Singh was fifth with a throw of 71.22m.

The Rio Games qualification standard in this event is 83.00m.