CHENNAI: The recently-concluded National Senior Athletics Federation competition in Ranchi was a treat for track athletes. Sprinters Gurindervir Singh and Animesh Kujur shared three national records between them within the span of 24 hours (which included breaching the Commonwealth Games mark). Quarter-miler Vishal TK’s sub-45 second would go down in the record books.
With favourable conditions, hurdler and national record holder Tejas Shirse sought for similar returns. But a 13.50s run meant that his hopes of breaking his own NR and qualifying for the quadrennial meets would come to an end. He had to wait for his moment. While he thought his dreams were over, it was announced that the Indian Athletics Series – 9 in Ludhiana would serve as the final qualifying event in Glasgow.
And Shirse grabbed the opportunity with both hands. Getting a blistering start in Final B of a delayed men’s 110m hurdles final on Saturday, the 25-year-old continued to gain pace by every hurdle and finished with a mark of 13.27s. A record run, and the mark coming down by .14s. And just like that, the Commonwealth dream was still on.
“When I saw the 13.27 on the screen, I thought if I could have done this two years ago, I would have qualified for the Olympics. But I think everything has its own time,” he told The New Indian Express after his performance.
That was in reference to Shirse narrowly missing out on the Olympics in 2024. While he managed to qualify for the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo last year, injuries had kept him away for a considerable period.
This year too, he had to battle the string of injury. However, he found his mojo back in his first national event of the season in Chennai. The Maharashtra hurdler clocked 13.43s two-tenths slower than his NR. However, he suffered a slight knock to his ankle, and could not consolidate on his good run. “After the Federation Cup I started thinking that nothing matters to me anymore. And after so many injuries I figured that does not go anywhere. I just wanted to have fun there today (Saturday),” he said.
Letting himself off the pressure both from within and from outside has worked like a charm for the hurdler. “I was not expecting anything there. I just blanked out in the race. I just let my body take over,” he chuckled.
Shirse’s coach and Reliance Foundation’s director of athletics James Hillier explained how he had to manage Shirse mentally to get himself back. “I knew when he ran fast in Chennai (13.43s) he'd be getting excited because he was so close to the Commonwealth standard. And that, for him, has always been a massive driver all year. And I've always been trying to temper it for him because of what happened in the Paris Olympics, where his whole identity was qualifying for that event. And when he didn't qualify, his world collapsed for six months. He couldn't get over it. And I didn't want the same thing to happen," he told this daily. "I said to him look, if the (selection to) Commonwealth happens, it happens. But you can't put your whole identity on it,” he further added.
Hillier also revealed that Shirse tinkered with his technique during the Federation Cup. “Going into the Fed Cup he was trying to change something. And I didn't want him to do that. So, we had this sort of little bit of a tête-à-tête. And after the Fed Cup, I said, ‘listen, you now have to trust the technique. Now is not the time to change it. It is the time to consolidate and maximise the technique you've got. And we accepted that this is where we are at right now — Maximise the technique that you've got right now — And that was the focus. So it wasn't about doing anything new. It was about doing the same thing, but a little bit better,” Hillier explained.
2 javelin throwers breach CWG mark
After doubts over the representation of India in its celebrated athletic discipline in the quadrennial event, throwers Rohit Yadav and Yash vir Singh recorded life-time best marks in the men's javelin throw final later in the final.
Rohit Yadav dominated the javelin throw. His first attempt of 83.76m was better than the CWG mark of 82.61m. Yashvir Singh finished second with a throw of 82.93m. Shivam Lohakare was third with a throw of 80.52m.