Jyothi Yarraji: 1st Indian To Qualify For Olympic Women's 100m Hurdles

Jyothi Yarraji has made history as the first Indian to qualify for the women's 100-metre hurdles at the Olympics. Known as 'India's fastest woman hurdler', she is ranked 34th in the world ranking quota list with 40 athletes who made it to the Paris Games 2024. In May 2024, the 24-year-old athlete clinched the gold medal at the prestigious Harry Schulting Games in the Netherlands. Amidst stiff competition, she showcased her prowess by clocking an impressive time of 12.87 seconds, marking her fourth career-best performance. 

Despite not yet meeting the stringent qualifying standard of 12.77 seconds, Yarraji's triumph at the Harry Schulting Games positioned her favourably in the global rankings. Currently occupying the 26th spot in the Road to Paris list of World Athletics, Yarraji stands poised to secure her ticket to the Olympics through her impressive world rankings.

Jyothi Yarraji Sets National Record

With a national record of 12.78 seconds, set during the World University Games last year, Jyothi Yarraji has firmly established herself as a trendsetter in Indian athletics. Yarraji has also previously won a gold medal and created a new national record at the National Open Athletics Championship 2022, becoming the first Indian woman to clock under 13 seconds in the women's 100-metre hurdles.

The athlete beat her own national record when she clocked 12.82 seconds in the 100m hurdles. This marked the fourth time Yarraji set India’s 100-meter hurdles national record. She was denied the national record multiple times due to wind assistance and other factors. Yarraji first set the record in May 2020 when she clocked 13.23 seconds at the Cyprus International athletics meet. She surpassed Anuradha Biswal’s record of 13.38 seconds.

Then, the athlete clocked 13.11 seconds at Loughborough International in the United Kingdom. A few weeks later, she set the record once again when she clocked 13.04 seconds at Harry Schulting Games in the Netherlands.

The 23-year-old athlete had previously taken part in the National Games in Gujarat, where she clocked 12.79 seconds and won the gold medal. It made her the first Indian woman to run under 13 seconds in her discipline. However, since the wind assistance exceeded the permitted threshold, it was not considered a national record.

Hailing from Andhra Pradesh, the athlete trains in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.Yarraji took the gold medal at the National Open Athletics Championship 2022 with a time of 12.82 seconds. Athlete Sapna Kumari, hailing from Jharkhand, took home the silver medal with a time of 13.26 seconds. Telangana’s Agasara Nandini won the bronze medal with a time of 13.51 seconds.

The Railways star had previously set three national records and helped the Railways win a gold medal at the 4x100m relay race. She took part in the relay race with her colleagues Daneshwari AT, Himashree Roy, and C Lekha. The four contributed to the team’s victory in the relay race.

The track and field athlete specialises in 100m hurdles and had previously represented India in the Commonwealth Games in 2022. Earlier in 2024, she took part in the National Games and won two gold medals. One in 100 metres and another in 100 metres hurdles.

The path to Olympic qualification is fraught with challenges, yet Jyothi Yarraji remained undeterred. With each stride on the track, she edges closer to her goal, fueled by passion and dedication. As she continues to hone her skills and fine-tune her performance, the world watches with bated breath, eager to witness her ascend to Olympic glory.