Annu Rani Wins Gold at Indian Open 2025 in Bhubaneswar
India’s top javelin thrower, Olympian Annu Rani, delivered an impressive performance to win the women’s javelin gold at the Indian Open 2025 World Athletics Continental Tour Bronze meet, held at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar.
Rani’s winning throw of 62.01 meters comfortably placed her ahead of Sri Lanka’s NDL Hatarabag Leka (56.27 meters) and India’s Deepika (54.20 meters). This win marks a strong comeback for the athlete, who had earlier recorded 62.59 meters in Poland — her best in nearly two years.
In the men’s javelin throw, India’s Shivam Lohakare secured the silver medal with an 80.73-meter throw, while Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Pathirage claimed gold with 86.50 meters, surpassing the World Championships qualifying mark.
The men’s long jump event saw Murali Sreeshankar take the title with a season-best leap of 8.13 meters on his final attempt. Shahnavaz Khan finished second at 8.04 meters, joining India’s exclusive 8-meter club, and Lokesh Sathyanathan came third with 7.85 meters.
The Indian Open 2025 marked India’s debut in hosting a World Athletics Continental Tour Bronze Level meet, offering crucial ranking points for athletes aiming to qualify for the upcoming World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.
