Unheralded Tamilarasu Wins Men's 100m, Dhanalakshmi Takes Women's 100m Gold

4 hours ago 5

ARTICLE AD BOX

Last Updated:August 20, 2025, 23:06 IST

Tamilarasu, representing the home state, rocketed off the blocks and shifted into top gear to outdo his rivals all the way to the finishing line.

S Tamilarasu, an unrecognised athlete, ran an incredible race to win the men’s 100m gold, while Dhanalakshmi Sekar won the women’s event as Tamil Nadu’s sprinters dominated the first day of the National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships on Wednesday.

Tamilarasu, 23, representing his home state, started strong and maintained his lead to cross the finish line first. His winning time of 10.22 seconds broke the previous meet record of 10.27 seconds set by Punjab’s Gurindervir Singh in

His time was just 0.04 seconds short of Animesh Kujur’s national record of 10.18 seconds set earlier this year. Kujur did not compete in the 100m event but will participate in the 200m.

This was Tamilarasu’s first national championship title in the senior category. Manikanta Hoblidhar from Karnataka came second with a time of 10.35 seconds, and G Ragul Kumar from Tamil Nadu finished third with 10.40 seconds.

In the women’s 100m event, Dhanalakshmi won with a time of 11.36 seconds. The 27-year-old returned to competition just last month after a three-year doping ban. Teenage sprinter Abhinaya Rajarajan, also from Tamil Nadu, came second with 11.58 seconds, while S S Sneha from Karnataka was third with 11.61 seconds.

Himachal Pradesh’s long-distance runner Seema set a new meet record in the women’s 5,000m race with a time of 15:42.64 seconds, surpassing the previous record of 15:46.92 seconds set by L Surya in 2017.

In the men’s pole vault, Tamil Nadu’s Reegan G set a new meet record by clearing 5.20m, breaking the previous record of 5.11m set by S Siva in 2023.

In the women’s 400m semifinals, Gujarat’s Devyaniba Zala led with a time of 53.26 seconds. Experienced runner MR Poovamma finished second in another semifinal with 54.52 seconds.

Tamil Nadu’s promising 400m runner Vishal TK posted the best time of 45.78 seconds in the semifinal heats and will be one to watch in the final on Thursday.

Results

Men:

100m: Tamilarasu (Tamil Nadu) 10.22 seconds (meet record; previous record 10.27 seconds), Manikanta Hoblidhar (Karnataka) 10.35 seconds, Ragul Kumar (10.40 seconds).

10,000m: Abhishek Pal (Uttar Pradesh) 30:56.64, Shivaji Parashu (Karnataka) 30:57.69, Shivam (Uttar Pradesh) 30:59.14.

Pole vault: Reegan G (Tamil Nadu) 5.20m (meet record; previous record 5.11m), M Gowtham (Tamil Nadu) 5.20m, Kamal L (Tamil Nadu) 5m.

Women:

100m: Dhanalakshmi Sekar (Tamil Nadu) 11.36 seconds, Abhinaya Rajarajan (Tamil Nadu) 11.58 seconds, Sneha SS (Kerala) 11.61 seconds.

5000m: Seema (Himachal Pradesh) 15:42.64 seconds (meet record; previous record 15:46.92), Ravina Gayakwad (Maharashtra) 16:53.24 seconds, Sanghamitra M (Jharkhand) 18:04.36 seconds.

Triple jump: Sandra Babu (Kerala) 13.20m, Aleena Saji (Kerala) 13.15m, Niharika Vashisht (Punjab) 13.09m.

Hammer Throw: Tanya Chaudhary (Uttar Pradesh) 63.91m, Divya Shandilya (Odisha) 59.58m. Maya (Rajasthan) 57.57m.

(With PTI Inputs)

Aakash Biswas

A cricket enthusiast whose dreams of playing for India paved the way for a compelling journey in journalism. With a comprehensive coverage spanning international and domestic cricket across formats, I have had ...Read More

Click here to add News18 as your preferred news source on Google. News18 Sports brings you the latest updates, live commentary, and highlights from cricket, football, tennis, badmintion, wwe and more. Catch breaking news, live scores, and in-depth coverage. Also Download the News18 App to stay updated!

Location :

First Published:

August 20, 2025, 23:04 IST

News sports Unheralded Tamilarasu Wins Men's 100m, Dhanalakshmi Takes Women's 100m Gold

Disclaimer: Comments reflect users’ views, not News18’s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Read Entire Article