Olympian Annu Rani made a golden comeback on Monday, winning the women’s javelin throw title at the Indian Open 2025 World Athletics Bronze Level Continental Tour in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

Competing at the iconic Kalinga Stadium, Rani threw a best distance of 62.01 meters, comfortably outclassing her rivals. Sri Lanka’s NDL Hatarabag Leka finished second with 56.27 meters, while India’s Deepika took third with 54.20 meters.

This victory marks a strong return for Rani, who recently registered 62.59 meters in Poland — her best in nearly two years.

Men’s Javelin Throw Results

In the men’s event, India’s Shivam Lohakare bagged silver with a throw of 80.73 meters. Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Pathirage stole the show, hurling 86.50 meters to win gold and surpass the World Championships qualifying mark of 85.50 meters. Fellow Sri Lankan Sumeda J Ranasinghe clinched bronze with 80.65 meters.

Murali Sreeshankar’s Long Jump Brilliance

Adding to India’s medal tally, Murali Sreeshankar clinched gold in the men’s long jump with a season-best 8.13 meters on his final attempt. Shahnavaz Khan jumped into the record books with 8.04 meters, joining the elite Indian 8-meter club, while Lokesh Sathyanathan settled for bronze with 7.85 meters.

This was Sreeshankar’s fourth consecutive title since returning from injury, underscoring his dominant form.

A Landmark Event for Indian Athletics

The Indian Open 2025 marked India’s debut as a host for a World Athletics Continental Tour Bronze Level meet, offering valuable ranking points for athletes eyeing the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.

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