Hangzhou, October 1, 2023: In a dramatic turn of events at the Asian Games Athletics competition, India’s Jyothi Yarraji secured the silver medal in the Women’s 100m hurdles. This remarkable victory came after race officials initially attempted to disqualify her and Chinese competitor Wu Yanni for a false start.
Chinese officials sought to disqualify both Jyothi and Wu Yanni, despite Jyothi being slower than the Chinese runner. However, Jyothi protested the decision, leading to both athletes being allowed to compete under protest. Ultimately, Jyothi finished the race in third place with a time of 12.91 seconds, behind the two Chinese runners.
However, within minutes of the race’s completion, Indian officials lodged a protest against the disqualification of Jyothi. The officials reviewed the decision and corrected their error by disqualifying the Chinese runner, Yanni Wu, and upgrading Jyothi’s medal to silver.
Commenting on the incident, Anju Bobby George, Senior President of the Athletics Federation of India, expressed her disbelief, stating, “In my entire life as an athlete, I have never seen such a thing—officials first disqualify an athlete and then bring her back. We lodged a protest immediately.”
The Indian protest proved successful, ensuring that Jyothi received the recognition she deserved. However, the episode and the unlawful attempt to disqualify her seemed to affect Jyothi’s performance, as she could not give her best.
“I don’t know much about the rules, but I was clear—I did not make a false start,” Jyothi remarked during a media interaction after the race.
In another historic achievement, Avinash Sable made history by becoming the first Indian athlete to clinch the gold medal in the Men’s 3000m Steeplechase at the Asian Games. Sable led from start to finish, setting a Games Record time of 8 minutes 19.50 seconds at Hangzhou.
This victory marked India’s gold medal in Athletics at the Hangzhou Games and the fourth medal overall in Athletics events. Sable, an Armyman from Maharashtra, dominated the race from the beginning, widening the gap as the race progressed. Despite not going all out in an attempt to secure gold, Sable’s strategic performance earned him a historic win in a major event, capping off his season in style.
