Gold Coast: Discus throwers Seema Punia and Navjeet Kaur Dhillon opened India’s medal account in athletics at the 21st Commonwealth Games, clinching a silver and bronze respectively here, on Thursday.
Punia came up with a best effort of 60.41m, which she did in her opening attempt to win her fourth successive CWG medal while Dhillon grabbed the bronze with her final throw of 57.43m.
The 34-year-old Punia had 59.57m in her second throw and fouled her third and fifth attempts while coming up with a 58.54m in between. She had a final throw of 58.90m.
Punia, who was competing in her final CWG, was, though, well below her best. She has a season’s best of 61.05m which she did while winning the gold in the Federation Cup National Championships
last month. She has a personal best of 64.84m which achieved long time back in 2004.
Former world champion Australian Dani Stevens won the gold with a Games record best throw of 68.26m which she came up in her fourth attempt.
The 34-year-old Seema has been the most decorated Indian track and field athlete in the Commonwealth Games history, delivering a medal each time she has represented the country in the quadrennial event.
Starting from the 2006 edition in Melbourne, where she won a silver, the Haryana athlete has been on the podium in 2010 (silver) and 2014 (bronze).