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India's Parul Chaudhary and Priti secured silver and bronze medals respectively in the women's 3000m steeplechase while unheralded Ancy Sojan claimed a silver medal in the women's long jump at the Asian Games here on Monday.
Parul clocked 9:27.63 seconds, which was more than nine seconds behind Bahrain's Yavi Winfred Mutile, who set an Asian Games record on the way to defending her title. The Bahrain runner took the top podium finish in 9:18.28, a new Games record.
The previous Games record stood in the name of country-mate Jebet Ruth (9:31.36 sec) set during the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea.
Though Parul also breached the Asian Games record, it was nowhere close to her national record and personal best of 9:15.31 clocked at the World Championships in Budapest, which helped her qualify for the Paris Olympics, in August.
Compatriot Priti finished a good 16 seconds behind Parul, clocking a personal best 9:43.32 seconds to win the bronze in a close finish with another Bahrain runner Mekonen Tigest Getent, who timed 9:43.71 seconds to finish fourth.
In women's long jump, Ancy breached her personal best twice and leaped 6.63 metres to bag the silver behind Shiqi Xiong of China who jumped 6.73 metres to claim the yellow metal. Vietnam's Nga Yan Yue won the bronze with a best effort of 6.50 metres.
In the third attempt, Ancy registered her personal best of 6.56m which she bettered in her fifth attempt. The other Indian in the fray, Shaili Singh finished a disappointing fifth with an effort of 6.48m.
The athletics arena gave India another medal in the form of a bronze, won by the quartet of Muhammed Ajmal Variyathodi, Vithya Ramraj, Rajesh Ramesh and Subha Venkatesan, who clocked 3:14.34s.
The gold was won by Bahrain runners, who timed 3:14.02, while the silver was bagged by Sri Lanka who clocked 3:14.25 seconds.
In the 3000m steeplechase, Yavi began to pull away in the sixth lap of the gruelling race, making Parul look like an underpowered engine. The Kenyan-born Bahrain runner, who won the 2023 World Athletics Championships gold in the event beating country-mate Beatrice Chepkoech, finished at least 50 metres ahead of the 28-year-old Parul.
