Vikas Gowda finally lived up to his potential by qualifying for the final of the discus throw event in the World championships on Monday.
The 28-year-old US-based Indian record holder threw the disc to a distance of 63.99m in the qualification round to finish fourth in his group and eighth overall on his way to Tuesday's final.
This is the first time Gowda has made a global championship final and he becomes the first Indian male athlete, and the fourth Indian, to have entered the final of an individual event in the World championships.
The others so far are woman long jumpers Anju George and Mayookha Johny, the latter in this edition, and woman discus thrower Neelam Jaswant Singh. Coming into these championships with four efforts over 64 metres this season, Gowda looked primed towards his goal of a place in the final. He opened with a 62.37m, followed up with 63.99m and then threw 61.85m to complete the three throws in the qualification round.
Gowda's best so far had been the 14th placing (62.04m) in the 2005 World championships.
He was 22nd in the qualification round (60.69m) in the Beijing Olympics. He has a personal best and National record of 64.96m, recorded at Salinas, California, in May, 2007.
No athlete made the automatic qualification mark of 65.50m in Monday's competition.
