Nayana shocks Asian champ Sumire to win gold in Taiwan Athletics Open

Nayana James wins long jump gold, Eldhose Paul triumphs in triple jump, and Animesh Kujur shines in Spain.

Despite rain being an issue, former Asian bronze medallist Nayana James came up with a 6.43m effort as she shocked Japan’s Asian champion Sumire Hata (6.37m) and won the long jump gold at the Taiwan Athletics Open, a World Athletics Continental Tour bronze event, in Taipei on Sunday.

At No. 68 Nayana, the Federation Cup champion, is way below the young Shaili Singh (No. 43) in the World Athletics’ Road to Paris rankings and both the Indians will be trying their best to make it to the top 32 who will qualify for next month’s Olympics before the qualification doors close on June 30.

Meanwhile, Ankesh Choudhary (1:50.63s) and Somnath Chouhan (1:50.88) won the gold and silver in the men’s 800m while Dev Meena Kumar (5.10m) took the men’s pole vault title. And Aditya Kumar, who had an 8.01m jump in early April, could manage only 7.31m for sixth place in men’s long jump.

In France, Commonwealth Games champion Eldhose Paul won the men’s triple jump gold with 16.24m despite being far away from his best while Jesse Sandesh took the men’s high jump title with 2.18m at the Meeting de Limoges.

In Spain Animesh Kujur, who turned 21 on Sunday, won the men’s 200m title with a wind-assisted 20.59s (+4.9) in the City of Salamanca Athletics Trophy meet at Salamanca on Saturday.

He also clocked the fastest 100m time by an Indian outside the country while finishing fourth in the event in 10.27s. And Tejas Shirse, who bettered the 110m hurdles national record with his 13.41s in Finland recently, finished second in Salamanca in 13.57s.