'%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,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Amoj Jacob, India’s dominating male 400m sprinter this season, is out of the Eugene World Athletics Championships, starting July 15 in Oregon, USA.
The Delhi-based international athlete is yet to recover from a hamstring injury that he suffered at the National Inter-state Athletics Championships held in Chennai from June 10-14.
Since the 24-year-old is unfit, he pulled out of Monday's fitness trials and will be replaced by Arokia Rajiv in the national relay squad for the World Athletics Championships.
“Following a hamstring injury earlier this month, Jacob started easy jogging and walking,” the national athletics coach told Sportskeeda on Sunday. “He is still on the recovery path and it will take three to four weeks before he is able to follow a normal workout on the track.”
Being the top 400m runner, Jacob, who won the National Inter-state Athletics Championships title in 45.68 seconds, was an automatic choice for the 4x400m squad for the World Athletics Championships. However, during the relay competition in Chennai on June 14, he pulled his hamstring and since then has been on the recovery path.
The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) scheduled fitness trials for Jacob and two other athletes, including 400m runner Aishwarya Mishra. The AFI has also given long jumper Jeswin Aldrin another chance to prove himself and earn a ticket to the Eugene World Athletics Championships.
Jacob's injury is a big jolt for the AFI, which will have to reorganize the national relay team and get the combination right.
The Delhi runner anchored the Indian team to an Asian record of 3:00.25 in the men’s 4x400m relay at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games last year in Japan. He ran the last leg in an astonishing 44.68 seconds.
Jacob has been attending the national camp in Kerala since November 2021. He was amongst the core group of athletes for the Turkey exposure tour in April.
Rajesh Ramesh, another member of the national relay squad for Eugene, isn’t fully fit as he injured his hand in April and is yet to start a high-intensity workout.
“Injury to key athletes is a big setback for the team. It will definitely be a challenging task for the Indian relay squad to come close to an Asian record of 3:00.25,” a member of the national team said.
Parul Chaudhary breaks 3000m record in Los Angeles
Meanwhile, Parul Chaudhary broke the women’s 3000m national record by clocking 8:57.19 seconds at the Sound Running Sunset Tour in Los Angeles on Saturday. According to an AFI press release, Parul finished third in the race. The previous record was 9:04.5 seconds (hand-time) set by L Suryia in 2016.
In the same meeting in Los Angeles, India’s Shankar Lal Swami clocked 8:45.82 seconds to finish third in the men’s 3000m steeplechase. Ajay Saroj, meanwhile, finished fifth in the men’s 1500m race with a timing of 3:43.15 seconds.
Parul is practicing in Colorado Springs and her next stop will be the Eugene World Athletics Championships, where she will compete in the women’s 3000m steeplechase.
