After injury, hurdler Jyothi Yarraji prepares for interstate meet

Mumbai: Returning to her training base in Navi Mumbai after last month’s competitions, a trip to Europe where she matched her national record and signed with a DNF (did not finish), Jyothi Yarraji is rebuilding herself to peak at the Paris Olympics with a stopover this week. -state meeting in Panchkula, Haryana.

The retirement at the Motonet Grand Prix in Lahti, Finland, a month ago was the result of a minor hip flexor injury that India’s top 100m hurdler had sustained two days earlier and was to his personal best. Despite clearing the final obstacle and nearly tripping, Yarraji clocked 12.78 seconds at the Motonet GP Jyvaskyla. This ties her 2023 national record and almost moves her into the direct qualification category for the Paris Games (12.77 seconds is the qualifying mark), although she is comfortably placed to advance to the Olympics in the rankings.

The hurdle caused a hip flexor injury from which she has recovered and that should not worry Paris (the 100m hurdles heats are on August 7). The interstate competition starting on Thursday will be the Asian Games silver medallist’s first competitive appearance since her injury.

“I have in mind to do my best (on the highway). But I do not know. Because of the obstacle overcome, I was faced with a little pain in my hip flexor muscles. I will just do my best,” Yarraji said. “The injury is completely healed, but I am gradually returning to the track.

“But I am 100 percent sure that I will be ready for the Olympics and that I will give my best,” she added.

Coach James Hillier said they had to do “a bit of a rebuild after the Europe trip”. “The Olympics shouldn’t be a problem though; she should then be in great shape and health,” he added.

After the Inter-State, the plan is to go to Poland for a training camp and “play one competition, maybe two, in Europe in July” to culminate Yarraji towards Paris, the coach explained .

Hillier and Yarraji estimated that without this final hurdle she would have improved her national record by a significant margin and thus reached the direct Olympic qualification mark. But still in 12.78 seconds, despite a long 13-hour journey the day before to Finland, the Andhra athlete once again showed his growing ability to take on challenges and deliver on his promises.

“The fact that she can effectively run her personal best after something that could break another athlete…she just dealt with it. Those were really positive experiences for her and for us trying to make her a complete athlete,” Hillier said.