Reliance Foundation backed Jyothi Yarraji made history on Thursday at the Asian Athletics Championships in Bangkok, Thailand, by becoming the first Indian woman to ever win gold in the 100-meter hurdles competition. Jyothi won the final in a competitive field by clocking a time of 13.09 seconds despite the wet and slick conditions brought on by heavy rain. Japanese competitors Masumi Aoki (13.26s) and Asuka Terada (13.13s) took home silver and bronze, respectively.

Jyothi was the quickest in the heats as well, winning Heat 1 with a timing of 12.98s and moving on to the championship round. She almost missed breaking the meet mark, which is 12.97 seconds. Jyothi edged off her Japanese rivals in a photo finish, becoming the first Indian woman in history to complete this course in less than 13 seconds.

Being the fastest woman in Asia this year, she entered the contest as the favorite. Her most recent performance was likewise excellent.

Historic Moment for India!

Immensely proud of #TOPScheme athlete @JyothiYarraji for etching her name in history as she clinches 🇮🇳’s 1st ever 🥇in Women’s 100m hurdles event at the Asian Athletics Championships.

This remarkable victory becomes even more special as it marks her… pic.twitter.com/uKMs3p5cCk

— Anurag Thakur (@ianuragthakur) July 13, 2023

At the National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships, where she won two gold medals and one silver, she was awarded the Best Female Athlete. At the Asian Athletics Championships, she will next compete in the 200-meter event.

In the men’s 1500-meter final, another unexpected gold medal was in store. With a time of 3:41.51, Ajay Kumar Saroj defeated more illustrious runners from Qatar, China, Japan, and even Jinson Johnson of India to win the gold medal. Abdulla Aboobacker’s 16.92m leap in the men’s triple jump gave India its third gold of the day.

India finished Day 2 of the competition with three gold medals and three bronze medals.Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports of India, Anurag Thakur, congratulated Jyothi for her historic win in a tweet which featured a video of the historic hurdle race.