Hima Das fails to finish the women's 400m semifinal due to back pain.

Annu Rani brushed away her Jakarta Asian Games disappointment by winning the women’s javelin throw silver while Avinash Sable won a medal of the same colour in the men’s 3000m steeplechase in the 23rd Asian Athletics Championships at the Khalifa International Stadium here on Sunday night.

Annu opened with a 60.22m throw and that was her best for the day as she finished behind China’s Asian record holder Lyu Huihui who broke the championships record with her second round effort of 65.83. The other Indian, Sharmila Kumari, was seventh with 54.48.

National record-holder Avinash came up with strong finishing kick as he took the steeplechase silver in 8:30.19s, behind Bahrain’s John Kibet who won in 8:25.87s. Meanwhile Parul Chaudhary chopped off her personal best by more than 20 seconds as she won the women’s 5000m bronze.

It was Sanjivani Jadhav, a silver medallist at the 2017 World University Games, who appeared to be in medal contention with about two laps to go but Parul, the Federation Cup champion, slipped past her teammate in the final lap to clinch the bronze behind the two Bahrainians Windred Mutile Yavi and Bontu Rebitu.

“I’m very happy, the weather was good and I got a personal best,” said the 24-year-old Parul who clocked 15:36.03s.

A little later, M.R. Poovamma brought another bronze, in the women’s 400 clocking 53.21s. Bahrain’s Salwa Eid Naser, the World Championships silver medallist and Asiad champion, won the gold in 51.34s while Kazakhstan’s Elina Mikhina took the silver in 53.19. Poovamma had clocked 52.46s in the morning’s semifinal.

Tamil Nadu’s Arokia Rajiv and defending champion Muhammed Anas of Kerala entered the men’s 400m final.

Rajiv won his heats in 45.96s while Anas was fifth in his group with 46.10s but still made the cut. Jinson Johnson also made the final in the men’s 800, after finishing second in his heat behind host Qatar’s Abdalla Abubaker in 1:50.65s.

Dutee ‘s new 100m mark

Earlier in the morning, Dutee Chand broke her own National record as she qualified for the women’s 100m semifinal. Dutee was the fastest qualifier as she clocked 11.28s in the heats, breaking her own National record of 11.29s set in Guwahati last year.

Hima injured

Hima Das, the junior World champion and Asian Games silver medallist, suffered a back pain and pulled out halfway through the women’s 400m semifinal.

Deputy Chief Coach Radhakrishnan Nair said that the doctors who attended on Hima felt that there was nothing serious and that she would be okay in a day or two. That could mean that Hima could be running the 4x400m relays.

Gomathi Marimuthu entered the 800m final as she finished second in her heats, clocking 2:04.96s while M.P. Jabir finished fifth (50.15s) in the men’s 400m hurdles heats and also moved to the final.

Praveen Chithravel advanced to the men’s triple jump final after finishing ninth in the qualification round with 15.66m. China’s Zhu Yaming, who produced an indoor 17.35m back home in February, led the qualifiers with 16.52m.ort