Mumbai, May 30: Indian hurdler Jyothi Yarraji faced unexpected challenges before the 100m hurdles event at the Asian Athletics Championship in Gumi, South Korea, when a heavy downpour delayed the evening session by two hours. Despite the interruption, Jyothi stayed focused by visualizing her race and mentally preparing herself.

“As the rain started, I kept picturing how I would run the race and clear each hurdle. I also followed my warm-up routine to stay ready,” Jyothi said in a virtual interaction after the race.

When the rain stopped and the competition resumed, Jyothi remained undistracted and went on to win the women’s 100m hurdles with a new Continental Record time of 12.96 seconds.

“My focus was on visualization and mental preparation. I imagined my start, the hurdles, and the entire race. I concentrated on a good start, and everything worked out well. I’m very happy with my performance,” she added.

Jyothi’s 12.96-second finish broke the previous continental record of 12.97 seconds set by Yun Feng in 1998 in Fukuoka, Japan. This time was also her season-best and marked a breakthrough by finishing under 13 seconds.

She shared that her preparation included mental visualization and a thorough warm-up, staying motivated by remembering a Chinese competitor she had faced before. Jyothi highlighted the importance of a positive mindset and focusing on timing rather than just hurdles.

Jyothi thanked the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) for their strong support. Despite some earlier injuries, she felt good during the competition, though the rainy conditions and delay posed extra challenges.

Her coach, James Hillier, spoke about how difficult the conditions were. “Just as Jyothi was warming up, a heavy thunderstorm hit, dropping the temperature drastically and delaying the race by two hours. She had to warm up in a small storage room beside the track. When the race finally started at 10:20 pm local time, it was very cold, but she handled it very well,” he said.

Hillier emphasized that the race was more about winning and defending her title than the timing because of the unusual conditions. “She might not have had the best start, but once she got into her rhythm, she was always going to win. I told her to stay close to the leaders by the eighth hurdle. If she was with them 80% of the time, victory was hers,” he added.

He praised the tough competition and Jyothi’s performance, calling her a “class act” and expressing pride that she successfully defended her title despite the challenging circumstances.