Seema Punia won an Olympics quota place and a gold medal in the women’s discus throw at the Pat Youngs Throwers Classic in California. With a throw of 62.62m, Punia became India’s 19th track and field athlete, the first in discus throw, to qualify for Rio. She crossed the qualifying mark of 61m in her fourth tournament in the US. The 32-year-old Punia came up with a much improved performance to finish on top. She will now head to Europe, where she will participate in the other qualifying events to rub shoulders with her potential opponents at Rio and keep herself ready for the big event. The Indian thrower will also aim to surpass her personal best (64.84m) before heading to Rio Olympics. Seema is peaking very well and she can win a medal in Rio if she continues to hit a purple patch.
Nickil Krishnan
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