Jeswin Aldrin and Arokia Rajiv to get another shot to qualify for World Athletics Championships 2022

07/07/2022

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After failing to join India's World Athletics Championships 2022 team in Monday's qualifying trials, long jumper Jeswin Aldrin and runners Aishwarya Mishra and Arokia Rajiv will be given another shot. These athletes were summoned for a trial, but none of them could reach the AFI criteria.

The three have been directed to reappear before the NIS Patiala on Friday for another selection trial. Jeswin Aldrin recorded a legal leap in all six tries, but his best of 7.99m fell far short of the AFI's "near to 8.10m" selection standard for the global athletics championships. Aldrin had a great start to the season but was left off of the world championships and Commonwealth Games 2022 squads owing to a downturn in form.

He is yet to break the 8m barrier after setting a personal best of 8.26m at the Federation Cup in April. Meanwhile, quarter-miler Aishwarya Mishra ran 53.15 seconds, her slowest time of the season. To make the cut, Aishwarya Mishra had to run "near to 52 seconds" in the women's 400m event.

Arokia Rajiv, a Tokyo Olympian, was called up as a substitute in the 4x400m relay as Amoj Jacob dropped due to an injury. Arokia Rajiv's time of 47.89s at Monday's trials, on the other hand, was well off his season-best of 46.01s which failed to convince the selectors.

“The performances of all three of them today were not up to the mark, nothing to be impressed. They did not meet the standards. But we have given them another chance," AFI president Adille Sumariwalla told PTI.

From July 15 to 24, the World Athletics Championships will be placed in Oregon, USA.