Indian Javelin-Thrower Annu Rani Back in Stunning Form, Strikes Gold in Poland
After more than a year away from the 60-metre mark, Annu Rani made a statement in Szczecin, Poland, on Wednesday. The national record holder hurled the javelin 62.59 metres, her best throw of the season, to win the women’s event at the 8th International Wiesław Maniak Memorial.
A Strong and Consistent Series
The 32-year-old Asian Games champion found her rhythm early, opening with 60.95m before producing the winning mark on her second attempt. She had already sealed the victory with that first throw. Rani closed the series with another 60m-plus effort, 60.07m, completing her most consistent competition in recent times. The distance was also her best since the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023 and the fifth-longest of her career.
Podium Finishers in Poland
In Poland, Turkey’s Eda Tugsuz took silver with 58.36m, while Australia’s Lianna Davidson claimed bronze with 58.24m.
Overcoming a Challenging Phase
For the Bahadarpur-born thrower, it was a much-needed comeback after a difficult run. Since May last year, when she reached 60.68m in Germany, Rani had struggled to get past 59m. Her low point came at the Paris Olympics, where she failed to qualify for the finals with a 55.81m throw. This season, her highest mark before Poland had been 58.82m at the Indian Open Throws Competition in March.
Boost to World Championships Hopes
The win lifted Rani into the world’s top 15 for 2025 and boosted her chances of making next month’s World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. The qualifying mark is 64m, but her latest performance could push her high enough in the rankings to secure a spot when the qualification window closes on August 24.
Next Stop: Bhubaneswar
Rani will now head home to compete at the World Athletics Continental Tour Bronze meet in Bhubaneswar on August 10, looking to build on her performance and inch closer to Tokyo qualification.
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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.
