Annu Rani (Javelin Throw)
Annu Rani – Javelin Throw: India’s Olympic Contenders for Paris 2024-Part 6
Annu Rani Dharayan was born on 28 August 1992 into a Jat family in the village of Bahadurpur, Meerut. Her father, Amarpal, was a farmer. Her talent for javelin throw was discovered by her brother, Upendra, who noticed her impressive upper body strength during a game of cricket. Recognizing her potential, he began training her by having her throw sugarcane sticks in an empty field.
Personal Information
Nationality: India
Born: 28 August 1992 (age 31)
Birthplace: Meerut, Uttar Pradesh
Height: 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in)
Weight: 63 kg (139 lb) (2014)
Sport
Discipline: Track and field
Event: Javelin throw
Team: India
Early Training and Challenges
Annu crafted her first javelin stick from a piece of bamboo due to financial constraints. She started practicing javelin throw in 2010 at the age of 18. Despite initial resistance from her father, who disapproved of girls participating in sports, her brother supported her training financially.
Turning Point
Her breakthrough came in 2014 when she broke the national record in javelin throw. This achievement changed her father’s perspective, and he began to support her athletic ambitions wholeheartedly. Since then, She continued to pursue her passion for javelin throw, making significant strides in her career.
Breakthrough in World Athletics
She made history by becoming the first Indian woman to reach the finals of the women’s javelin throw event at the World Athletics Championships held in Doha in 2019. This achievement marked a significant milestone in her athletic career.
Tokyo 2020 Olympics Performance
She is the second Indian female javelin thrower to compete at the Olympics 2020 after Gurmeet Kaur (Sydney 2000), began her day with a throw of 50.35 meters. She improved her performance with subsequent throws of 53.19 meters and 54.04 meters. Despite these efforts, her throws were insufficient to advance to the medal round.
Her best throw of 54.04 meters was far from her personal best of 63.24 meters, a national record she set during the Federation Cup in March. The Olympic qualifying mark was set at 63 meters.
Competitors’ Performance-Poland’s Maria Andrejczyk, a favorite for the gold at Tokyo, led Group A with a throw of 65.24 meters. She was followed by Australia’s Mackenzie Little with 62.37 meters and China’s Lyu Huihui with 59.22 meters. In Group B, USA’s Maggie Malone topped with a throw of 63.07 meters.
Final Outcome – She finished 29th overall out of the 30 competitors, with the top 12 throwers across both groups advancing to the final. Unfortunately, she did not progress further in the competition.
Commonwealth Games Achievement
At the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games, she became the first Indian female javelin thrower to win a medal at the event, earning a historic bronze and further establishing her as a leading athlete in her field.
Asian Games Triumph
In 2023,she continued her trailblazing journey by becoming the first Indian javelin thrower to win a gold medal at the Asian Games held in Hangzhou. This victory solidified her status as a top contender in the international javelin throw arena.
Personal Best and National Record
She achieved her personal best of 63.82 meters at the Indian Open Javelin Throws Competition in Jamshedpur in 2022. This mark also stands as the women’s javelin throw national record in India.
Training and Coaching for Olympics 2024
Since late last year, the 31-year-old Annu Rani has been training in Germany under the guidance of foreign athletics coach Werner Daniels. The qualification mark for the Paris 2024 Olympics is set at 64 meters, just slightly above her personal best. https://globalbuzznetwork.com/track-and-field-athlete-paris-olympics-2024/
https://worldathletics.org/athletes/india/annu-rani-14422692
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