CHENNAI: Competing in the first major senior international competition, like the Golden Grand Prix, can be tricky. India’s up-and-coming young long jump athlete, Shaili Singh, also had some flutter during the Seiko Golden Grand Prix — part of the World Athletics Continental Tour — but was strong enough to win bronze with a jump of 6.65m in her first attempt. In the next series of jumps, she tried to improve but could not get close to her personal best of 6.76m she had managed at the Indian GP in April this year.
Yet Shaili, the junior world championships silver medallist, was pleased with her performance because it has come in her first Grand Prix and against some good competitors who had better personal bests than her. The women’s long jump was won by Germany’s Maryse Luzolo with a distance of 6.79m and Brooke Buschkuehl was second with 6.77m. Shaili is the best Asian this season and would try to improve as she heads to Asian Championships and hopefully a couple of Grand Prix in Europe.
Shaili’s coach Robert Bobby George sounded relieved after the event. On Saturday, he did say that 6.65m is what he was expecting and she could do more. “Considering it’s her first Grand Prix, this result is very heartening,” said Robert from Yokohama. “She did very well in her first two jumps but I think she got a bit tired after that. The conditions were good. Later, there was a slight headwind also. Anyway, we will have to assess her performance and improve.”
Shaili, who trains at the Anju Bobby George Jumps Academy in Bengaluru and is funded by TOPS, has had a good season so far but she is yet to qualify for the Worlds in Budapest in August. Robert felt they needed some good jumps so that they could improve their ranking on the Race to Budapest list.
“We will compete at the inter-state nationals in Bhubaneswar next month and then at the Asian Championships where we can get some important points,” he said. “We will try for two-three Grand Prix in Europe also.” As of now, Robert said they are happy that her jump is among the best by Asians in 2023. “This is a good experience for her,” he said. “She has competed against top Japanese jumpers who will be our competitors at the Asian Championships and Games later. I told her let’s beat the Japanese athlete at their home. We need to improve on her endurance a bit more.”
