Parul Chaudhary and Annu Rani achieved historic victories for India at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. Parul triumphed in the 5000m race, while Annu dominated the javelin throw event, both securing gold medals.
This remarkable feat marked the first time India claimed the top spot in both the women's 5000m race and the women's javelin throw in the history of the Asian Games.
Parul Chaudhary, a 28-year-old sensation, secured India's first gold medal of the day at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre with a dazzling performance, clocking an impressive 15:14.75.
Despite trailing for most of the race under overcast skies, Parul Chaudhary unleashed her hidden reserves of energy in the final two laps, surging ahead in the last 50 meters to narrowly defeat Japan's Ririka Hironaka by less than a second.
Parul Chaudhary had already made her mark at the Asian Games, claiming a silver medal in the women's 3000m steeplechase the day before and her stellar season included two medals at the Asian championships earlier in the year, a gold in the 3000m steeplechase and a silver in the 5000m race.
In contrast, Annu Rani, India's javelin thrower, faced a different journey. Holding the national record at 63.82m, she finally crossed the 60m mark again since her bronze medal win at the Commonwealth Games the previous year.
Annu Rani showcased her prowess on Tuesday, hurling the javelin to an impressive 61.28m on her second attempt and achieving her personal best of 62.92m on her fourth try. Sri Lanka's Dilhani Lekamge (61.57m) and China's Huihui Lyu (61.29m) secured the silver and bronze medals, respectively.
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