Gopi T and Ashwin Madan Jadhav Triumph in New Delhi Marathon 2024; Miss Paris 2024 Olympics Qualification
Dara Singh Chahal
New Delhi, 25 Feb 2024: India witnessed thrilling performances at the New Delhi Marathon 2024 as Thonakal Gopi and Ashwin Madan Jadhav emerged victorious in the men’s and women’s elite races, respectively. Despite their triumphs, none of the participants met the qualifying standards for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
In a closely contested men’s race, Thonakal Gopi clinched the gold medal with a time of 2:14:40, narrowly surpassing Srinu Bugatha, who finished just a second behind at 2:14:41. Akshay Saini secured the third spot with a timing of 2:15:27. Gopi’s sprint in the final stages secured him the victory, although he fell short of his personal best set at the 2019 Seoul Marathon. Both T Gopi and Srinu B are from Army Sports Institute, Pune.
Ashwin Madan Jadhav dominated the women’s race, finishing in 2:52:25, ahead of Thakor Nirmaben Bharatjee (2:55:47) and Divyanka Chaudhary (2:57:06).
Notably, Gopi and Bugatha, both former champions of the New Delhi Marathon, showcased exceptional athleticism throughout the race. While Gopi had claimed the title in 2017, Bugatha emerged victorious in 2021.
Despite their impressive performances, none of the Indian marathoners met the rigorous qualifying standards set for the Paris 2024 Olympics. The qualification time stands at 2:08:10 for men and 2:26:50 for women. India’s national records in the marathon also remain unbroken since Shivnath Singh’s feat in 1978 and O. P. Jaisha’s achievement in 2015 for men and women, respectively.
The Paris Olympics will host a total of 80 athletes in each of the men’s and women’s marathon events, with 66 qualifying through the entry standard and the remaining 14 via world rankings. The qualification window concludes on May 5.
The New Delhi Marathon 2024 showcased outstanding athletic prowess and determination, highlighting the resilience and talent of Indian marathoners on the international stage.
