'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAMDAwMDAwQEBAQFBQUFBQcHBgYHBwsICQgJCAsRCwwLCwwLEQ8SDw4PEg8bFRMTFRsfGhkaHyYiIiYwLTA+PlQBAwMDAwMDBAQEBAUFBQUFBwcGBgcHCwgJCAkICxELDAsLDAsRDxIPDg8SDxsVExMVGx8aGRofJiIiJjAtMD4+VP/AABEIAAgACgMBIgACEQEDEQH/xABiAAEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABQcQAAIBAwQDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEDAgAEEQYHEiEFE2EBAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQGEQABBAIDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAAMhQQIEE4HR/9oADAMBAAIRAxEAPwDRE6D1qm9Xbr83blYR7ZXPJpYh8QIxmvPXKffLIORU521e5DHMmNYW+JTJGVHPZ+ClKJyvVmR0PFRnUZFExcr/2Q=='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Hyderabad international 400m runner Dandi Jyothika Sri has set big goals for the 2023 season, and breaking 52 seconds for the quarter-mile is one of her goals.
At the start of the season at the fourth National Open 400m Championships held in Thiruvananthapuram on March 6, the promising 23 year old Andhra Pradesh sprinter won the women’s title with a time of 53.26 seconds.
Maharashtra’s Aishwarya Kailash Misha finished second in 53. 49 seconds, while Kiran Pahal of Haryana was third in 54.29 seconds.
“The race was easy. I didn’t push myself to clock 53.26 seconds in the 400m,” Dandi told Sportskeeda. “I hope to get better in my next race at the end of this month.”
Dandi’s next stop will be at the Indian Grand Prix on March 27 and she plans to do better than her personal best of 53.05 seconds for the 400m she has clocked in 2021.
“I joined the national camp in November 2022 and preparations have been going on the right track,” Dandi revealed.
The 2022 season didn’t go on expected lines and the Hyderabad’s sprinter doesn’t want speak about her past, saying it was important to plan out the next race as the 2023 season is long and challenging.
The 2023 Budapest World Athletics Championships and postponed Asian Games scheduled for the latter part of this year are two major international competitions that Dandi has set her eyes on.
“I am hopeful to sustain my efforts until August and September and achieve my goals set for this year,” the 2021 national under-23 champion in women’s 400m said.
The 400m Under-16 girls also attracted attention as West Bengal’s Rezoana Mallick Heena clocked 53.22 seconds, which turned out to be the fastest time of the competition and an age group national record. The previous record of 54.57 seconds was recorded in 2012.
Bengaluru’s Priya H Mohan, as expected, won the women’s U-20 400 title with a time of 53.55 seconds.
Raj Mohan, national athletics coach, said the overall performance in the senior men and women’s group was satisfactory.
“The performance during the first race of the season in Kerala was good as the athletes are still in the preparatory phase of training,” Mohan said.
