Indian athletes have a tough task ahead of them in the coming months as they strive towards achieving qualifying standards for the London Olympics.
The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) approved a tough set of standards at its Daegu Executive meeting on April 11 and 12.
The qualifying marks could be achieved during May 1, 2011 to July 8, 2012 (except in 10,00m, marathon, race walk and combined events where the January 1, 2011 to July 8, 2012 period would apply).
Qualification in the relays (qualifying period, January 1, 2011 to July 2, 2012), will hinge on the two fastest timings of the national teams. For the results to be valid, a minimum of three international teams should have participated in a race.
Qualifying for Worlds
The immediate target for the Indian athletes would be the Asian championships in Kobe, Japan, in July, followed by the World championships in Daegu, Korea, in August and September.
The following athletes have already achieved the qualification standards for the World championships with their performances in 2010:
Men:
800m, 1:46.30 (Pankaj Dimri, 1:46.26); triple jump, 16.85m (Renjith Maheswary, 17.07); shot put, 20.00 (Saurabh Vij, 20.65); 20km walk, 1:24:00 (Harminder Singh 1:23.28); 4x100m, 39.20s (Indian team 38.89s).
Women: 400m, 52.30s (Mandeep Kaur 52.13s); 800m 2:01.30 (Tintu Luka 1:59.17); 5000m, 15:25.00 (Preeja Sreedharan 15:15.89); 10,000m, 32:00.00 (Preeja, 31:50.47); 400m hurdles, 56.55s (A. C. Ashwini 56.15s); Discus, 59.50m (Krishna Poonia, 63.69m); 20km walk, 1:38:00 (Deepmala Devi, 1:37:44); 4x400m, 3:32.00 (Indian team 3:27.77).
The male 800m runners, triple jumpers, shot putters and the walkers will have to aim for the same standards as for the Daegu Worlds while looking to book their berths for London next year.
Dimiri, after his fabulous 1:46.30 at Patiala last year had not been heard of since. Renjith's form this year has seen him touching 15.20m and 16.09m. These are early days yet and there could be progression along the way.
Asian shot put champion Om Prakash Singh could not come up to expectations in the Commonwealth Games (19.51m for fifth) and the Asian Games (19.17m for fourth) after his 19.99m at Patiala.
Saurabh Vij had a 20.65 in the Delhi State meet, but came down to 18.60m in the CWG and 18.98m in Guangzhou.
The 20-metre yardstick for London thus looks a lot tougher than what it could have been a year ago.
Incidentally, Vij had an 18.90m for the gold in the Ranchi National Games while Om Prakash took the silver with 18.13m.
India had a forgettable experience at the Beijing Olympics athletics events, with only the women's 4x400m relay team acquitting itself somewhat creditably, finishing 12th overall in 3:28.83.
The following are some of the other qualification marks for the London Olympics in events in which Indian athletes could have a reasonable chance of attaining those marks in the next 14 months or the Athletics Federation of India could be pinning its hopes on forming a squad:
Men:
400m hurdles: 49.80s, Joseph Abraham's 2010 best 49.96s, PB 49.51s; Discus: 63.00m, Vikas Gowda's CWG silver 63.69, PB 64.96m; Beijing Olympics 60.69m, 22nd.
Women:
400m: 52.30, Mandeep Kaur 2010 best 52.13; PB 51.74, Beijing Olympics 52.88, sixth in heat; 800m: 2:01.30, Tintu Luka PB and National record 1:59.17, Split, Croatia, September, 2010; 5000m: 15:25.00; 10,000m: 32:10.00 (Preeja Sreedharan and Kavita Raut have the best credentials in distance events for qualification on the strength of their Guangzhou performance); 3000m steeplechase: 9:48.00, Sudha Singh 2010 best and National record 9:55.67, Guangzhou.
400m hurdles: 56.55s,Ashwini 56.15s for Asiad gold; Long jump: 6.65m,Mayookha Johny PB 6.64m; Discus: 59.50m ( Krishna Poonia and Harwant Kaur have PBs over 60m); 20km walk: 1:38:00,Deepmala Devi 2010 best 1:37:44.
