Annu Rani bettered her own javelin throw national record but still missed the Tokyo Olympics qualification mark by more than half a metre on the opening day of the Federation Cup Senior National Athletics Championships on Monday. Rani clinched the gold with a best throw of 63.24m which she came up in her third attempt, obliterating her earlier national mark of 62.43m which she had recorded during the World Championships in Doha in 2019.

Many congratulations to #TOPSAthlete #AnnuRani for setting a new national record of 63.24m in the women’s javelin throw at the Federation Cup in Patiala. She surpassed her own previous record of 62.43m set in 2019.

*Subject to ratification pic.twitter.com/1EDvh9JLP8

— SAIMedia (@Media_SAI) March 15, 2021

The Tokyo Olympics qualification mark for women’s javelin throw is 64m.

The 28-year-old, who had won a bronze in the 2014 Asian Games and a silver in the Asian Championships in 2019, was representing Uttar Pradesh in the national event.

Sanjana Choudhary of Rajasthan was a distant second with a best throw of 54.55m while Haryana’s Kumari Sharmila was third with a best effort of 50.78m in the eight-athlete field.