Vikrant Panchal and Giridharini Ravikumar emerged as the leading performers in the men’s 400m and women’s 100m respectively, while Nitisha and Manikanta Hoblidhar topped their respective semifinal heats at the National Open Athletics Championships 2026 in New Delhi.

The competition at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium produced several closely fought qualifying races, with athletes pushing for places in the next rounds. Panchal was the only runner to go below 46 seconds in the men’s 400m, while Giridharini won the women’s 100m with 11.48s.

In the women’s 400m semifinals, Nitisha set the fastest time with 53.80s, while Priya Thakur followed closely in 54.05s. Meanwhile, Manikanta Hoblidhar continued his comeback by clocking 10.30s in the men’s 100m semifinal.

Vikrant Panchal Leads Men’s 400m Qualifiers

Vikrant Panchal produced the standout performance in the men’s 400m, winning his heat in 45.88s for Railway Sports.

Panchal was the only athlete to break the 46-second barrier, giving him the fastest qualifying time. He finished ahead of Tamil Nadu’s Akash Raj, who clocked 46.41s.

Kerala’s Saran Shaji secured the third automatic qualifying spot with 47.32s, while Haryana’s Kapil finished fourth in 47.81s.

The race also saw three athletes fail to finish. Mukesh Thakur, Jay Kumar and Setu Mishra were all listed as DNF.

Panchal’s 45.88s places him at the head of the 400m field heading into the next stage, with Akash Raj the only other athlete inside 47 seconds in the heat.

 

Giridharini Ravikumar Wins Women’s 100m

Giridharini Ravikumar continued her strong showing in the women’s 100m, winning with 11.48s.

The Railway Sports sprinter finished ahead of Odisha’s Srabani Nanda, who clocked 11.55s. Priyanka Sikarwar of All India Police was third in 11.59s, ensuring the top three all finished inside 11.60 seconds.

Karnataka’s V Sudheeksha followed in 11.70s, while Odisha’s Mousumi Roy Uttam Roy recorded 11.73s.

Delhi’s Charu Shoukeen ran 11.75s, with Railway Sports’ Avantika Narale clocking 11.76s. Uttar Pradesh’s Nidhi completed the field in 11.80s.

Giridharini’s 11.48s puts her at the top of the women’s 100m standings, with Srabani and Priyanka also showing strong form ahead of the decisive stages.

Manikanta Hoblidhar Leads Men’s 100m Semifinal

In the men’s 100m, Manikanta Hoblidhar continued his impressive return after an injury layoff of almost a year.

The Karnataka sprinter clocked 10.30s in the second semifinal, with a legal +0.1 m/s tailwind, to record the fastest time in the three semifinal heats.

SSCB’s Harjit finished second in 10.38s, while Haryana’s Shivam Vashnav took third in 10.49s.

Rajasthan’s Adesh Garsa clocked 10.53s, followed by Maharashtra’s Saurabh Naitam in 10.61s.

Kerala’s Halvi S Vij ran 10.77s, while Gujarat’s Rahul Solanki finished in 10.79s. Uttar Pradesh’s Lakshay did not start.

Manikanta’s 10.30s was the fastest semifinal time, putting him firmly among the leading contenders heading into the next stage.

National Open Athletics Championships 2026 Qualifying Picture

The qualifying rounds have already produced several strong performances across the four events.

Vikrant Panchal’s 45.88s gives him the fastest mark in the men’s 400m, while Nitisha’s 53.80s leads the women’s 400m field. In the sprints, Giridharini Ravikumar’s 11.48s tops the women’s 100m, while Manikanta Hoblidhar’s 10.30s is the fastest men’s 100m semifinal time.

With the championship continuing at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi, the next rounds will determine which of these early pace-setters can convert their qualifying performances into places in the finals and, ultimately, medals.