Chandigarh (Punjab) [India], January 30 (ANI): Indian race walker Suraj Panwar on Tuesday met the qualification mark for the Paris 2024 Olympics in the men’s 20km race walk at the Indian Open Race Walking Competition 2024 in Chandigarh.
The 23-year-old Panwar recorded one hour, 19 minutes and 43 seconds (1:19:43) to bag a silver medal. The qualifying standard for the Paris 2024 Olympics is 1:20:10 in the men’s 20km race walking.
Panwar became the fourth Indian to break the entry standard for the Paris 2024 Olympics in the men’s 20km race walk event. Meanwhile, India’s Akshdeep Singh, who registered 1:19:37, set a new national record and met the Paris qualification time at the same competition last year.
Vikas Singh and Paramjeet Bisht are the two other players who already have breached the Paris Olympics qualification mark in the men’s 20km race walk.
In the women’s event, Manju Rani bagged the gold medal with a personal best timing of 1:34:16. Payal claimed silver (1:34:45) and Munita Prajapati clinched bronze (1:35:36), joining Rani on the podium.
National record holder Priyanka Goswami breached the qualification time for the Paris at the same competition last year. The entry standard for the Paris 2024 Olympics in the women’s 20km race walk is 1:29:20. (ANI)
