Paris Olympics: All you need to know about Visakhapatnam-based athlete, Jyothi Yarraji

The Paris Olympics 2024 have begun, and India is off to a firing start with Manu Bhaker opening our account with a Bronze medal in shooting. Furthermore, India’s renowned badminton player, PV Sindhu earned a win over Maldives’ Razzaq in her women’s singles first-round match. Additionally, Ramita Jindal finished in the fifth position in the 10m air rifle women’s qualification round. Among all the Indian women giving it their all at the 2024 Paris Olympics, a name that stands out for Visakhapatnam residents is Vizag’s own Jyothi Yarraji, India’s fastest hurdler. As we rally our support for the girl who makes our city proud, here are some things you should know about her:

1. Humble beginnings

She races on the tracks of the Olympics today, but her parents walked the hard path to get her here. Her father, Suryanarayana is a security guard, and her mother, Kumari, worked round-the-clock as a domestic servant and a cleaner in a hospital in Visakhapatnam. Jyothi took their stories as inspiration and, in several interviews, has remarked that her mother always told her to keep moving despite obstacles in personal and family life.

2. India’s fastest Hurdler

With a timing of 12.78 seconds, Jyothi holds the national record for the 100 m hurdles. She ranked 24th in the global women’s 100m hurdles rating, thanks to which she was qualified for the Paris Olympics. In both the indoor 60-meter hurdles (8.13 seconds) and women’s 100-meter hurdles (12.78 seconds), Jyothi holds the national record. She established a lifetime best of 23.13 seconds when she won gold in the 100-meter hurdles and silver in the 200-meter hurdles at the 2023 Asian Athletics Championships in Bangkok.

3. India’s first 100m women’s hurdler at the Olympics

Not only is she India’s fastest hurdler, but Jyothi will also be India’s first athlete to compete in the Women’s 100-metre Hurdles at the Olympics.

4. The first to shine

Jyothi has a series of firsts to look back on. Jyothi made history as the first Indian woman to clinch a medal in the 100m hurdles at the Asian Games, earning a silver in Hangzhou. In 2023, she set the national record for indoor 60-metre hurdles five times and secured a silver at the Asian Indoors. Jyothi is also the first Indian to run the event in under 13 seconds and holds the 15 fastest times ever recorded by an Indian in this category.

5. Her biggest ‘hurdle’

Jyothi faced one of her biggest hurdles when she experienced a hip flexor injury in Finland, following which she had to quickly re-acquire her health to become fit for the Paris Olympics 2024. In an interview with TOI, she shared that it took her 5-6 weeks to recover. “I worked on my upper body and tried to stay fit. I have been blessed with a good team that supported me during this tough time. I am more confident than before,” she said.

Jyothi Yarraji will undoubtedly face a tough race in Paris. Despite what the outcome may be, she has made Visakhapatnam proud with her determination to win and exceed expectations.

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