Indian middle- and long-distance runner Ankita Dhyani produced a stellar performance at the Grand Slam Jerusalem athletics meet in Israel on Thursday, winning gold in the women’s 2000m steeplechase and breaking the national record. The 23-year-old clocked 6:13.92, beating the record of 6:14.38 set by Asian Games gold medallist Parul Chaudhary by 0.46 seconds.
The Grand Slam Jerusalem is a World Athletics Continental Tour Silver Category B event, attracting top athletes from around the globe. In the 2000m steeplechase, Israel’s Adva Cohen and Denmark’s Juliane Hvid bagged silver and bronze in personal best times of 6:15.20 and 6:17.80, respectively. Dhyani’s record-shattering run also secured her valuable ranking points, giving her a much-needed head start in the Road to Tokyo campaign for the 3000m steeplechase at the upcoming World Athletics Championships in Japan in September. Her time placed her second on the all-time Asian list and among the top 10 global times of 2025.
Dhyani’s rise in the steeplechase has been nothing short of phenomenal. Earlier in 2025, she won the 3000m steeplechase at the Mangrum Invitational and secured a silver medal at the World University Games in a personal best of 9:31.99. She also holds a 5000m bronze from the 2023 Asian Athletics Championships in Bangkok and claimed gold in both the 5000m and 3000m steeplechase at the Uttarakhand National Games earlier this year.
The 2000m steeplechase is a track and field event where athletes race over 2000 metres, navigating 18 barriers and 5 water jumps as reported by World Athletics. Unlike standard hurdles, these barriers span multiple lanes and remain fixed when struck, with women’s barriers measuring 0.8 metres high and the water jump stretching nearly four metres. Dhyani’s speed, technique, and consistency have been key to her rapid ascent in this discipline.
Her performance in Jerusalem also earns her points toward world ranking qualification for the World Championships in Tokyo next month. With the Road to Tokyo ranking system considering her 2000m steeplechase time for 3000m qualification, she is now projected to climb near the top qualifying spots. Following the meet, she is expected to return to India for the Inter-State Championships in Chennai later this month, where another strong showing could further cement her position among the world’s elite steeplechasers.
By breaking the national record and earning top global rankings, the 23-year-old Dhyani has established herself as one of India’s most promising middle-distance athletes, capable of competing at the highest levels on the international stage.
Yash Desai is a renowned journalist with over 10+ years of experience covering sports around the world. He began his career as a News Reporter in Delhi, India, and got an opportunity to cover several World events, including the Olympics, Paralympics, and World Games. He often felt that women’s sports are sidelined and given step-motherly treatment by the mainstream media. To bridge this gap and to build an equal playing field, Yash co-founded FemaleInSports and is currently working as a Lead Editor here.
