Moscow: India's disappointing show in the 14th IAAF World Athletics Championships continued with two more athletes brining up the rear in the 50km Race Walk event on Wednesday. National record holder Basanta Bahadur Rana came up with his season's best effort of 3 hour 58 minute and 20 seconds to finish 33rd while Sandeep Kumar was disqualified for rule violations on the fifth day of the mega event.
Rana's personal best and national record stands at 3:56:48 which he had come up in the London Olympics last year while finishing 36th. The two Indians never looked in contention for a medal as they were below 30th spot in the 60-athlete field by the five-kilometer mark.
The 29-year-old Rana was at 33rd and Sandeep at 45th by the halfway mark but the latter was disqualified a few kilometers after the 35-km mark. Robert Heffernan of Ireland won the gold in 3:37:56 while Mikhail Ryzhov of Russia and 2012 London Olympics silver medallist Jared Tellant of Australia were second and third in 3:38:58 and 3:40:03 respectively.
India are being represented by 15 athletes in the World Championships but none of them have come up with any creditable performance so far. on Tuesday, discus thrower Vikas Gowda finished seventh while Khusbir Kaur was 39th in women's 20km Race Walk though she created a national record in the process. Sudha Singh had failed to qualify for the women's 3000m steeplechase final round after finishing 23rd overall in the heats.
In men's 20km Race Walk, Gurmeet Singh and Chandan Singh had finished 33rd and 34th respectively while national record holder K T Irfan was disqualified after being at sixth spot at the halfway mark. Renjith Maheswary in men's triple jump and the women's 4x400m relay team are the only Indian athletes left in the fray. Maheswary has qualification round on Friday while the women's 4x400m realy heats and final will also be held on the same day.
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