Date:14/07/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/07/14/stories/2007071462181900.htm

Sport - Athletics

Manpreet enters shot put final

New Delhi: Manpreet Kaur heaved the 4kg shot put to a distance of 13.56m to become the first Indian girl to enter the final of a field event at the fifth World Youth Athletics Championship at Ostrava, Czech Republic, on Friday.

Manpreet finished fourth in her group, which was led by Germany’s Samira Burkhardt, who recorded an effort of 15.20m. The Indian was 10th among the 12 competitors who made it to Saturday’s final.

However, Manpreet was way off her personal best of 14.49m as well as her season’s best of 14.42m.

Her best attempt came in her second throw, while she managed only 12.96m and 12.91m in the first and third efforts respectively.

Manpreet, in the year’s top 10 performances in the youth category of her event so far, follows in the footsteps of M.R. Poovamma, who made it to the final of the girls’ 400m on Thursday with a personal best of 55.15 seconds. — PTI