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What the story?
Indian sprinters Anu Raghavan and Jauna Murmu both missed out on a medal as they finished 4th and 5th, respectively, in the Women's 400m Hurdles Final.
In case you didn't know...
The eighteenth Asian Games are currently underway in the Indonesian cities of Jakarta and Palembang. It is the first time in history, that the pan-Asian multi-sport event is being co-hosted by two cities.
We are halfway through with the Games and so far India has won Thirty-Seven medals, with at least one more confirmed (PV Sindhu).
The heart of the matter
Athletics has never been one of India's strong points when it comes to multi-sport competitions. India has had some winners in the past in this category but those victories have been few in number.
However, that narrative completely changed during the 2018 Asian Games.
India sent one of its strongest Athletics contingents to Jakarta and Palembang. The athletes, in turn, repaid the faith put in them by winning several medals. The medal flurry started on Day Seven when Tajinderpal Singh Toor broke the Games Record to win the Gold medal in Men's Shot Put.
Tajinderpal's success was not to be the only one in athletics for India. On Day Eight, Hima Das, Muhammed Anas Yahiya, and Dutee Chand, all won the Silver medal in their respective events. Das and Anas won the Silver in 400m events, while Dutee Chand finished second in Women's 100m.
On Day Nine, there was the promise of more medals to come from the Indian contingent as Jauna Murmu and Anu Raghavan both took part in the Women's 400m Hurdles. While Anu finished third in her heat, Jauna finished fourth and qualified as one of the two best losers.
The Final approached with both Jauna and Anu within the mix for a medal.
However, it was to be another close miss for the Indian contingent as both Anu and Jauna missed out on an Asiad Medal. Anu Raghavan finished 4th with a timing of 56.92. She was 1.27 seconds behind her closest competitor. On the other hand, Jauna Murmu finished joint fifth, with a timing of 57.48 seconds.
The two Indians joined Nirmala and Rajiv Arokia as the near-misses at the 2018 Asian Games.
What's next?
Nine days in and India has performed consistently on a daily basis. The Games are set to continue for another Six days. Six days which promise to be full of thrills and hopefully, more medals.
