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.

The first race of the season is rarely about perfection. It’s about signals.

In Race A of the men’s 110m hurdles at the Indian Athletics Series – 3 in New Delhi, Harmanjeet Singh’s signal was clear. He opened his season with a controlled 14.45s, enough to take the win and set an early marker.

There was no rush, no overreach—just a clean race, executed with the kind of composure that tends to matter more in April than outright speed. For a hurdler, especially, rhythm is everything. On this evidence, Harmanjeet looks settled.

Behind him, Shivdarsha finished in 14.86s, while Vikash Kumar followed closely at 14.93s. The margins weren’t wide, but the race never quite felt in doubt.

Season openers can be deceptive. Times improve, races get sharper. But they also reveal where an athlete is starting from.

For Harmanjeet, this was a steady beginning—and perhaps, the outline of what’s to come.