Race walkers Vikash, Paramjeet qualify for 2024 Olympics and 2023 World C’ships in 20km event
India’s 20km race walkers Vikash Singh and Paramjeet Singh Bisht on Sunday qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics as well as 2023 World Championships during the Asian Championships here.
Vikash and Paramjeet finished second and third in the open category men’s section of the Asian 20km Race Walking Championships, clocking 1:20:05sec and 1:20:08sec respectively, behind Qian Haifeng (1:19:09) of China.
The qualifying mark for both the 2024 Paris Olympics and 2023 World Athletics Championships in August in Budapest, Hungary is 1:20:10, which the two Indians breached a small margin.
Akshdeep Singh, who has already qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics as well as 2023 World Athletics Championships winning the National Championships last month, clinched gold in the official entry category, clocking 1:20:57, and finished fifth overall.
As per the competition rules, a country can send athletes in the open categories — besides the official entry — for the purpose of giving exposure to them but their performance will not be counted as official.
India had sent four men and three women race walkers in the open category, besides the two official entries — one man and one woman — in the continental event.
Suraj Panwar and Hardeep, the two other Indians in the open category, clocked 1:22:31 and 1:25:38 respectively.
Priyanka Goswami, who has also already qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics as well as 2023 World Athletics Championships winning the National Championships last month, clinched bronze in the women’s official entry category, clocking 1:32:27, and finished fourth overall.
Munita Ptajapati and Bhawna Jat missed the Olympics and World Championships qualifying mark of 1:29:20 a big margin, clocking 1:33:22 and 1:36:20 respectively in the open category.
The third Indian woman in the open category, Sonal Sukhwal did not start the race. India now has four race walkers who have qualified for the 2024 Olympics as well as World Championships.
