Gailey jolts Praveen in triple jump

Double for sprinter Taranjeet and distance runner Komal

Gailey Venister Devasahayam, a former high jumper, shocked National Open champion Praveen Chithravel and won the triple jump with a personal best 16.20m in the National under-23 athletics championships here on Wednesday.

While Praveen, who hit a personal best 16.88m at the National Open, had a foul-ridden series with just one legal jump, Gailey was in his best form with all his four legal jumps going over his previous best of 15.55m.

“I didn’t come thinking that I should beat somebody, I just wanted to do something like 16.30m and came close to that,” said the 21-year-old Gailey from Tiruchi, who is coached by former national high jump record-holder N. Annavi, his wife Suganthi and son Mothi Arun.