Toor finally books Tokyo ticket, in style

Shot-putter sets national record; Kamalpreet, Dutee also set new marks

Shot-putter Tajinderpal Singh Toor made the long wait count, finally booking a Tokyo Olympics ticket in style with a new National record of 21.49m at the fourth Indian Grand Prix at Patiala on Monday and bettering the Olympic qualifying mark by some distance. The Olympic mark is set at 21.10m. It had been a frustrating wait for the athlete who kept insisting he was in fine form during training and had the confidence of his coach M.S. Dhillon to make the cut. During the Federation Cup in April, Dhillon had said it was not a question of if but when Toor would do it. A series of cancelled foreign trips for training and competition did not make things easier.