Indian hurdling star and national record holder Jyothi Yarraji marked a sensational return to competition by clinching the women’s 100m hurdles title at the 65th Interstate Athletics Championships 2026, clocking an impressive 12.99 seconds.

The performance carried extra significance as it was Jyothi’s first competition of the season following a lengthy rehabilitation period after suffering an ACL injury — one of the most challenging setbacks an athlete can face. Months of recovery, rehabilitation, and uncertainty culminated in a triumphant comeback on the national stage.

Earlier in the day, Jyothi had already shown signs that she was back to her best by comfortably breaching the Asian Games 2026 qualification standard in the heats. She then raised her level even further in the final, breaking the 13-second barrier and reminding everyone why she remains India’s undisputed hurdle queen.

Her victory was a testament not only to her speed and technique but also to the resilience and determination that carried her through the difficult months away from competition. Returning from an ACL injury is never easy, especially for a sprint hurdler whose event demands explosive power, speed, and precise movement over barriers.

The final saw a strong field of competitors, with Nandhini K finishing second in 13.22 seconds and Pragyan Prasanti taking third place in 13.48 seconds.

Women’s 100m Hurdles Final
🥇 Jyothi Yarraji – 12.99s
🥈 Nandhini K – 13.22s
🥉 Pragyan Prasanti – 13.48s

With the Asian Games qualification mark already secured and a sub-13-second performance in her season opener, Jyothi’s comeback could not have been scripted any better. As the road to the Asian Games gathers pace, India’s hurdle queen has sent a clear message — she is back, stronger than ever.

Indian hurdling star Jyothi Yarraji announced her return to the track in emphatic fashion, clocking 13.14 seconds in Heat 1 of the women’s 100m hurdles at the 65th National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships to comfortably breach the Asian Games qualification standard of 13.34 seconds.

The performance was significant not just because it secured qualification for the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya, but because it marked the comeback of one of India’s brightest athletics stars after a lengthy injury layoff.

Competing in her first race of the 2026 season, Yarraji looked sharp and composed as she cruised to the top spot in her heat, sending a strong message to her rivals ahead of the final.

The road back has been anything but easy.

In July last year, the reigning Asian champion suffered a freak knee injury during training, bringing her season to an abrupt halt and ruling her out of the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. The injury eventually required surgery and sidelined her for the remainder of the 2025 season.

At the time, the setback was particularly cruel. Yarraji was coming off one of the best phases of her career, having successfully defended her Asian Championships title and established herself among the world’s leading hurdlers. The injury not only ended her hopes of competing at the World Championships but also interrupted the momentum she had built over several seasons.

After spending seven months away from competition, Yarraji returned to training only earlier this year, carefully rebuilding her strength and confidence under the guidance of her support team. Her coach James Hillier had repeatedly stressed that the Asian Games would be the primary target for her comeback season.

On Tuesday, she showed exactly why.

Running her first competitive race since the injury, the national record holder looked in complete control, clocking 13.14 seconds—well inside the Asian Games qualification mark and a highly encouraging start to a season that could culminate with another continental medal.

For Indian athletics, the result is a major boost. Yarraji remains the country’s premier hurdler, a two-time Asian champion and the national record holder in the event. More importantly, she is once again healthy, competing, and already meeting the standards required for India’s biggest targets of the year.

Tejas Ashok Shirse produced the standout performance of the Indian Athletics Series–9, clocking a sensational 13.27 seconds in the men’s 110m hurdles to set a new Indian National Record and achieve the qualification standard for the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

The Maharashtra hurdler delivered a flawless race to improve his personal best and move into elite company in Asian athletics.

The performance earned him multiple milestones:

 New Indian National Record
 CWG 2026 Qualification Standard Achieved
 Lifetime Best – 13.27s
 Asia’s All-Time No. 14 Performer
 Asia’s Sixth-Fastest Time of the 2026 Season

Shirse’s 13.27s eclipsed the previous national record and further established him as India’s leading sprint hurdler. The timing also places him among the fastest athletes the continent has produced in the event.

The run continues a strong upward trajectory for the 23-year-old, who has steadily improved over the past few seasons through a series of national-level victories and international appearances. His latest performance represents a significant breakthrough, particularly in an event where Indian athletes have traditionally struggled to match the standards set by the world’s leading hurdle nations.

Beyond the national record, the timing comfortably cleared the qualification mark for the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, strengthening his prospects for selection.

The result is also significant in the broader context of Indian athletics. Sprint hurdling has rarely produced continental-level performances from Indian athletes, making Shirse’s entry into the upper ranks of Asian all-time lists a notable achievement.

Reliance athlete Fasalul Haque delivered a sensational performance at the Indian Athletics Series–8, breaking the Indian U20 national record in the men’s 110m hurdles with a lifetime best of 13.61 seconds.

The young hurdler eclipsed the previous national record mark and continued the remarkable rise in standards that Indian junior hurdling has witnessed over the past year.

Adding further depth to the event, Sandeep, who finished second, also clocked a time faster than the previous national record, highlighting the growing competitiveness of the discipline among India’s emerging athletes.

According to Athletics Federation of India records, the previous U20 national record of 13.69 seconds was set by Yuvaraj S at the Junior Federation Cup last year. However, that mark had already been surpassed earlier this season when Kiran K clocked 13.66 seconds at the Junior Federation Cup.

Fasalul’s 13.61s now establishes a new national benchmark and further cements his status as one of India’s most promising sprint hurdlers.

The progression of the event over the last 12 months has been particularly striking. In the span of just one year, four different athletes have collectively produced six performances faster than the old national record of 13.69 seconds. During that period, the national record itself has been improved three separate times, underlining the rapid evolution of men’s junior hurdling in India.

India’s national record holder Tejas Shirse continued his impressive run on the international circuit, clinching the silver medal in the men’s 110m hurdles at the New Taipei City Athletics Open 2026.

In a thrillingly close final, Shirse clocked 13.58 seconds to finish second, missing out on gold by the narrowest of margins. Chinese Taipei’s 20-year-old Hsieh Yuan-kai produced a stunning run to take top honours in 13.57 seconds, with just 0.01 seconds separating the two athletes at the finish line.

The result adds another strong international performance to Shirse’s growing résumé as he continues to establish himself as one of Asia’s leading hurdlers.

The Maharashtra athlete has been India’s premier 110m hurdler over the last two seasons. In May 2024, he rewrote the national record books when he clocked 13.41 seconds at the Motonet Grand Prix in Finland, breaking Siddhanth Thingalaya’s seven-year-old national mark of 13.48 seconds.

Since then, Shirse has enjoyed a remarkable rise. He has dominated the domestic circuit, winning three consecutive National Games gold medals and setting a new Games record of 13.65 seconds at the 2025 edition in Dehradun. Earlier that year, he also broke the Indian national record in the 60m hurdles indoors, underlining his growing consistency across formats.

The 23-year-old’s journey has not been without challenges. After suffering an injury setback earlier this year, Shirse returned to competition in May and immediately reminded everyone of his quality by clocking 13.43 seconds in Chennai, just 0.02 seconds outside his own national record. The performance came after only a few weeks of training following a four-month injury layoff.

Born in Aurangabad to a farming family with no sporting background, Shirse transformed from a talented junior athlete into the country’s fastest-ever sprint hurdler

Yashas Palaksha becomes India’s all-time 2nd fastest in men’s 400m hurdles!

Karnataka’s Yashas Palaksha breached the Commonwealth Games 2026 qualification standard, clocking a stunning 49.00s at Federation Cup 2026.

 With this performance he became India’s all-time 2nd fastest 400m hurdler  Santhosh, who finished 2nd, also produced a massive run of 49.06s — now India’s 3rd fastest ever.

Till now, only one Indian had ever gone sub-49 seconds in men’s 400m hurdles:

National record holder Dharun Ayyasamy – 48.80s

 Birsa Munda Stadium, Ranchi | Federation Cup 2026 | May 24, 2026

Tamil Nadu’s Nandhini K arrived at Federation Cup 2026 as an athlete in form. She left it as a national champion — and the woman who upstaged one of South Asia’s finest hurdlers in the process.

Running the race of her life, Nandhini crossed the line in 13.24 seconds — a lifetime best that sliced 0.21s off her previous personal record in a single, defining run. In a sprint hurdles event where margins are measured in hundredths, a 0.21s improvement is not incremental progress. It is a leap.

Standing in her way was no ordinary rival. Pragyan Prashanti Sahu, the reigning SAAF champion, is the benchmark of women’s hurdles in South Asian athletics. Pragyan ran 13.33s — a time that, on most days, would be more than enough to win a national title. On this evening in Ranchi, it earned her silver.

The race for gold was settled. The race for bronze was not.

Anjali C and Shreeya Rajesh pushed each other to the line in one of the most breathtaking finishes of the entire Federation Cup. When the photo finish equipment delivered its verdict, the margin between them was 0.007 seconds — a gap so small it exists beyond the limit of human perception. One bronze medal. Two athletes who deserved it equally. The numbers gave it to one of them by the width of a heartbeat.

For Nandhini, however, the evening belonged entirely to her. A lifetime best. A national title. A statement result against the reigning SAAF champion. Federation Cup 2026 will be remembered as the day Tamil Nadu’s finest hurdler announced herself on the biggest domestic stage in Indian athletics.

 Tejas Ashok Shirse and Krishik M both clocked faster timings than the previous Federation Cup meet record in the men’s 110m hurdles final.

 Tejas Shirse – 13.50s  

Krishik M – 13.52s

This is now the second consecutive competition where the two finished extremely close.

At Indian Series-6, they were separated by just 0.01s.

It was also a breakthrough day for Muhammed Lazan, who registered back-to-back personal bests in both the heats and final.

He finished 3rd with 13.83s — going sub-14 seconds for the first time in his career.

Indian athletics will have strong representation at the Saudi Athletics Grand Prix, with rising stars Krishik M and Shivaji M set to compete at the World Athletics Continental Tour Bronze meet in Riyadh on May 15-16, 2026.

Krishik heads into the competition in the form of his life after producing a sensational performance in his last outing. The hurdler clocked a massive personal best of 13.44 seconds in the men’s 110m hurdles, making him India’s second-fastest athlete ever in the event. The timing marked a major breakthrough for the young sprinter-hurdler and underlined his growing consistency at the national and international level.

With the Asian season gathering momentum, the Riyadh meet offers Krishik another valuable opportunity to test himself against a quality international field and continue his push towards the top of the Asian rankings.

Joining him in Saudi Arabia will be distance runner Shivaji M, who will compete in the men’s 3000m event. Shivaji has steadily built an impressive résumé over the last few seasons. Earlier this year, he won the 2026 national indoor title over 3000m and remains one of India’s most promising endurance athletes.

The 2023 Asian U20 Championships bronze medallist in the 5000m will now look to carry that momentum onto the continental circuit. Competing in Riyadh could provide both athletes crucial exposure and ranking points as they prepare for a busy international season ahead.