Javelin thrower Annu Rani, an eight-time national champion and pioneering Asian Games gold medallist, will represent India at the Paris Olympics. The athlete holds the women's national record for a 63.82m attempt, which she set at the Indian Open Javelin Throw Competition held in 2022. The 31-year-old athlete from Uttar Pradesh began her journey in the sport with a makeshift javelin made of bamboo and has now emerged as one of the most respected athletes in India.
Who Is Annu Rani?
Annu Rani was born in Bahadurpur village in Meerut to a Jat family involved in farming. Her talent was first spotted by her brother when he noticed her upper body strength while playing cricket. He trained her by making her hurl sugarcane sticks in an empty field before she made a javelin using bamboo due to financial constraints. Despite her father's disapproval of letting girls play sports, she and her brother remained consistent in their efforts.
Rani started playing professional javelin throw in 2010 at the age of 18. In 2014, she won the gold medal at the National Interstate Athletics Championship in Lucknow, breaking a 14-year-old national record and qualifying for the Commonwealth Games. In 2019, she became the first Indian woman to reach the finals at the World Athletics Championships in Doha. In 2020, she won the Sportstar Aces Sportswoman of the Year Award in Athletics.
History-Scripting Career
At the Asian Games 2022 in Hangzhou, China, Annu Rani became the first Indian javelin thrower to win a Gold medal. She started in the sixth position in her first throw and opened her account with a notable throw of 56.99 meters. However, her performance rose to an incredible level when she threw an impressive distance of 61.28 metres, progressing straight to the top of the boards.
In her third throw, Rani registered 59.24 metres, but in her fourth throw, she etched her name in India’s sports history with a stunning throw of 62.92 metres, securing not just the gold medal but also achieving her personal best score of the season. With this remarkable victory, Rani added another feather to her cap.
Previously, Rani won a bronze at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, where she became the first Indian woman to bag a medal in the javelin throw. She also made history by becoming the first Indian woman athlete to cross the 60-metre mark with a throw of 61.86 meters. Annu Rani is now representing India at the Paris Olympics 2024. She is supported by the Olympics Gold Quest.
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