Vizag athlete Jyothi Yarraji shatters national record, clinches gold in France

Visakhapatnam-born Indian hurdler Jyothi Yarraji delivered an extraordinary performance in Nantes, France, on January 25, 2025, setting two national records and winning gold in the 60m hurdles at the prestigious Meeting de Nantes Métropole.

In a thrilling final, Yarraji clocked an impressive 8.04 seconds, breaking her own national record to secure the gold. Earlier in the day, she had already made history in the heats, finishing third with a time of 8.07 seconds, shaving 0.05 seconds off her previous best of 8.12 seconds, which she had set at the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships in February 2024.

In the final, Yarraji left South Africa’s Marione Fourie behind, who finished second with a time of 8.05 seconds, while Finland’s Saara Keskitalo took bronze with 8.13 seconds.

Expressing her delight upon winning Gold on Instagram, Jyothi Yarraji shared, “I’m thrilled to start my season with two personal bests and my 10th and 11th national records here in Nantes, France. The decision to stay in Stellenbosch and continue training instead of returning to India for the Arjuna Award ceremony was a tough one, but today’s results have justified that choice. Excited to push even further in my upcoming competitions!”

Jyothi Yarraji, a record-breaker in both the 100m and 60m hurdles, has consistently outdone herself over the years. Her career highlights include a gold medal in the 100m hurdles at the 2023 Asian Athletics Championships, a silver in the 200m, a bronze at the World University Games, and a silver at the 2022 Asian Games. Recently, she was honored with the Arjuna Award, celebrating her dedication and exceptional contributions to Indian athletics.

Read also- All you need to know about Visakhapatnam-based athlete, Jyothi Yarraji

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