Annu Rani clinches gold in women’s javelin, takes India’s Asian Games 2023 athletics gold medal haul to 4

India’s Annu Rani on Tuesday won her second Asian Games medal, and her first gold, in women’s javelin throw in Hangzhou. Annu threw the javelin 62.92m in her fourth attempt which helped her jump to the lead. Sri Lanka’s Dilhani Lekamge won silver with a best throw of 61.57m while Lyu Huihui (61.29m) of China won bronze.

This is Annu’s second Asian Games medal. The 31-year-old had won bronze in Incheon in 2014 with a best throw of 59.53m. She ended up finishing sixth at the 2018 Asian Games where Neeraj Chopra became the first Indian to win gold in javelin by winning the men’s event. Annu’s gold is the second from track and field for India on Tuesday and fourth from athletics overall. Parul Chaudhary earlier won the women’s 5000m event, adding to the silver she won at the women’s 3000m steeplechase final on Monday.

Annu threw 56.99m in her first attempt and followed that up with a throw of 61.28m. She then threw 59.24m before flinging 62.92m in her fourth attempt. That gave her the lead and she followed that up with a throw of 57.66m. Her final throw was a foul but her gold medal had already been confirmed by then.

It added to the golds won by by shotputter Tajinderpal Singh Toor and men’s 3000m steeplechase winner Avinash Sable. Toor defended his Asian Games gold while Sable smashed the Games record to cruise to a comfortable win.