Shaili qualifies for final as best jumper 

CHENNAI: For any athlete, the first international event can be intimidating. Even Shaili Singh was feeling the jitters during her first jump at the World U20 Athletics Championships. There was a tinge of nervousness but deep inside she had that belief of performing well.

The first jump was enough for her to make the final when she cleared 6.34m, a mere .01m less than the automatic qualification mark. By the end of the round, her coach Robert Bobby George knew she would be in the top five, enough to qualify. Preserving energy would be key.

He told Shaili to relax and not exert too much. “I told her only if she wants she can try and better the first jump,” he said. “It was not necessary at the point because we knew she would qualify with that distance.” Shaili, however, said she was comfortable and would give a try during the last jump.

The 17-year-old has been consistently clearing 6.40m this season and that’s what she did with her final jump and qualified as the best jumper across both groups. She created a junior national record with a jump of 6.48m in July. Sweden’s Maja Askag qualified behind her, clearing 6.39m. Askag’s personal best is 6.45m. Spain’s Tessy Ebosele with a personal and season best of 6.63m could only manage 6.18m. In fact, the next best in Group B where Shaili was competing was Shantae Foreman of Jamaica with a jump of 6.27m.

According to the coach, Shaili is capable of clearing 6.40m and is good for 6.50m.