Aishwarya Mishra, Asia’s fastest quartermiler this year with 51.18s which came at the Federation Cup in Malappuram in April, could clock only 53.80s in the AFI’s World Athletics Championships trials in Patiala on Friday evening.
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The trials for the coming under-20 World Championships were also held simultaneously in Patiala on Friday and Aishwarya finished third, behind juniors Rupal Chaudhary (52.56s) and Priya H. Mohan (52.72).
It was the second trial for Aishwarya who had qualified for the World Championships (Oregon, USA from July 15) earlier with her 51.18. She had clocked 53.15s in the first trial held recently in Thiruvananthapuram. The AFI had wanted her to clock a time around 52s to be cleared for the Worlds.
Meanwhile long jumper Jeswin Aldrin, who had qualified for the Worlds with 8.26m (he also had a wind-assisted 8.37m) in the Federation Cup in April, had a best of 7.93m today. He fouled four of his six attempts with the only other legal effort being 7.67m.
The AFI had set a target of 8.10m for Aldrin to be cleared for the Worlds. He had jumped 7.99m in the first trial in Thiruvananthapuram.