Tokyo 2020: Dutee Chand disappoints; fails to qualify

Bengaluru, July 30: India's athletics campaign of Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games began on a disastrous note as Dutee Chand bowed out of semifinal reckoning after finishing seventh in the women's 100M Heats.

Dutee's time of 11.54sec at Japan's National Stadium, way below her personal best of 11.17sec.

Dutee's disappointing show follwed that of men's 400M hurdler MP Jabir, who too failed to make the semifinal cut as he could finish only seventh.

Tokyo 2020: MP Jabir finishes seventh in 400M hurdles heats; fails to qualify

Dutee was competing in Heats 5 where Jamaican star Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce was in the fray.

The Jamaican romped home comfortably with a time of 10.84sec to live up to her favourites tag at Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

Tokyo 2020: Four stars to watch out for in athletics

Fraser-Pryce was followed by Ajla del Ponte of Switzerland and Grace Nzubechi Nwokocha of Nigeria.

Fraser-Pryce is juggling being the fastest woman alive with motherhood as she bids for a third 100M Olympics gold.

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India's Dutee Chand clocks 11.54 in her women's 100m heat and is placed 7th.
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce tops the heat with 10.85.

Live updateshttps://t.co/Pon4MWLIPw pic.twitter.com/nKDDJBk5Rt

— The Field (@thefield_in) July 30, 2021

The 34-year-old is set for good battle at Tokyo 2020 with compatriot Elaine Thompson-Herah and Great Britain's 200M world champion Dina Asher-Smith.

The 100M final will be held on Saturday (July 31) at 6.20pm IST.

However, it is not all over for Dutee as the Indian sprint ace will also competing in the 200M.

The Heats for the 200M will take place on Monday (August 2).

#Tokyo2020 #Boxing

India's Dutee Chand clocks 11.54 in her women's 100m heat and is placed 7th.
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce tops the heat with 10.85.

Live updateshttps://t.co/Pon4MWLIPw pic.twitter.com/nKDDJBk5Rt

— The Field (@thefield_in) July 30, 2021

Fraser-Pryce is tipped to win that event as well as the Jamaican eyes a sprint double to confirm her status as the undisputed queen of the track.

Dutee had made the Tokyo 2020 cut for both 100M and 200M races via the World Rankings quota.

22 spots were available in 100M and 15 spots in 200M via the World Rankings route.

Dutee's overall position of world No. 44 in 100M and world No. 51 in 200M were well within the ranks to make her eligible to fly to Tokyo.

It may be recalled that Dutee had failed in her last race to secure a direct Olympic qualification spot after finishing a disappointing fourth in the women's 100M final at the 60th National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships.

Dutee had scripted a new national record in the women's 100M with a time of 11.17sec at the Indian Grand Prix (IGP) 4 in Patiala. However she missed the Olympic qualification time by just 0.02sec before making it through the World Rankings route.

Following a disappointing outing in 100M, Dutee will be eyeing a better show in 200M, though her task is easier said than done.