India's top athletes earn quotas for Paris 2024 Olympics

Bengaluru: Indian athletes Annu Rani, Jyothi Yarraji, Tajinderpal Singh Toor, Parul Chaudhary, Abdulla Aboobacker, Praveen Chithravel, and Suraj Panwar have all secured quotas for the Paris 2024 Olympics through their world rankings.

Asian Games gold medallist Rani and Asian athletics champion Jyothi achieved their places via the Road to Paris 2024 standings, which were confirmed by World Athletics on Tuesday.

The qualification window for athletics events ended on June 30.

Athletes could secure their country's quotas by either breaching the entry standard for their events or finishing within the cut-off in the Road to Paris rankings after the qualification window closed.

Rani, a javelin thrower, finished 21st in the Road to Paris rankings, with the top 32 athletes making the cut for the upcoming Summer Games. Jyothi secured the 34th position in the women’s 100m hurdles, where the top 40 qualify. Both athletes are national record holders in their respective events.

Toor, a two-time men’s shot put Asian champion, also secured a Paris 2024 quota by ranking 23rd in his event. Similarly, Abha Khatua, a silver medallist at the Asian Championships in women’s shot put, earned her quota by also ranking 23rd. The top 32 in the Road to Paris rankings for both events secured quotas.

Parul, ranked 34th in the women’s 5000m event with a cutoff of 42, also secured a quota. She also met the Paris 2024 Olympics qualification standard for the women’s 3000m steeplechase by clocking 9:15.31 in Hungary last year.

In men’s triple jump, Aboobacker and Chithravel both made the 32-man cut, ranking 21st and 23rd, respectively.

Sarvesh Kushare secured a quota in the men’s high jump by finishing 23rd, within the cutoff list of 32. However, Tejaswin Shankar, ranked 37th, did not make the shortlist.

India’s men’s long jump national record holder Jeswin Aldrin narrowly missed the cutoff, finishing 33rd in the world rankings. His compatriot, Murali Sreeshankar, who met the long jump entry standard last year and is ranked seventh, is expected to miss the Paris 2024 Olympics due to an injury. This could potentially move Jeswin Aldrin into the top 32.

Suraj Panwar secured a quota in the men's 20km race walk event through the Road to Paris rankings. Akshdeep Singh, Paramjeet Singh Bisht, Ram Baboo, and Vikash Singh had previously met the entry standard, with India allowed to send a maximum of three among the five.

National Olympic Committees (NOCs) have the exclusive authority to represent their countries at the Olympic Games, meaning athletes' participation at the Paris Games depends on their NOC selecting them to represent their delegation.

Previously, India secured 14 quotas in athletics, either by meeting entry standards or through designated qualifying competitions.