Preeja, Starley set meet records in national athletics

JAMSHEDPUR: Preeja Sreedharan broke her own 10,000 metres record on the opening day of 47th National Open Athletics Championships here on Tuesday.

The Railways athlete clocked 33.25.00 seconds to better her own time of 34:11.45 sec recorded in Delhi Oct 4 last year. She also failed to better her own national record of 33:19.71 sec established at the Colombo South Asian Games Aug 27 last year.

Kavita Raut, also of the Railways, won the silver with 34:00.5 sec - a time that bettered the old meet record. Preeti L. Rao, also of the Railways, won the bronze with 36:41.5 sec at the JRD Tata Sports Complex.

High jumper Bendict Starley of the Railway broke the only other meet record by clearing 2.19 metres. He bettered the mark of 2.18 metres set by Hari Shankar Roy, also the Railways, Oct 8 last year.

Hari Shanker Rai cleared 2.15m to clinch the silver and his Railways colleague Vinod Kumar took the bronze with 2.03m.