Nayana James of Kerala won the women’s long jump at the 3rd Indian Open Jumps Competition held at the Anju Bobby George Foundation with a personal best leap of 6.67m. On a day when no athlete challenged the 2024 Paris Olympics qualification mark, the 28-year-old’s performance stood out, coming nearly seven years after her previous best of 6.55m.
Nayana’s best leap came on her second attempt, leaving Shaili Singh with a mountain to climb. The 20-year-old struggled with her rhythm and could only reach 6.40m. Nayana’s distance was 16cm short of Anju Bobby George’s national record and 19cm short of the Paris mark.