Harita Bhadra has established herself as the second-fastest Indian woman in history by clinching victory in the 100m final at the Indian Athletics Series Final held at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi on Thursday.

Following her impressive performance, Bhadra shared her excitement about the win and its positive effect on her confidence as she prepares for the upcoming Asian Games.

She is optimistic that her enhanced speed will also aid her performance in the 200m event. “I’m really pleased with my timing. Honestly, I knew I had it in me. This race was about enjoying myself, and that allowed me to run freely,” she stated in an interview.

“This is definitely a very positive boost for me going into the Asian Games because I know my speed has improved, and that should reflect in the 200m as well. I’m very happy with where I am right now. I feel the 200m at the Asian Games should be fun because I’ve put in my best work in training, and I feel that is now showing on the track. So, it’s just about going out there and having fun,” she added.

The 23-year-old sprinter from Maharashtra entered the race with a personal best of 11.46 seconds, achieved at the World Athletics Silver Level Continental Tour meet in Bhubaneswar last month. Competing in Lane 6, she surpassed that record with a remarkable time of 11.22 seconds.

In the men’s 100m category, Odisha sprinter Animesh Kujur delivered an outstanding performance, securing the title with a time of 10.21 seconds, aided by a wind reading of 1.7 m/s.

Kujur finished ahead of national record holder Gurindervir Singh by 0.11 seconds, while the competition for silver was tightly contested, with Singh narrowly beating Rushiprasad Desai by just 0.01 seconds.

Despite his second-place finish, Singh viewed the race as a significant learning opportunity in preparation for the Asian Games. He emphasized that his main objective is to identify areas for improvement and enhance his focus and reactivity for the upcoming challenge.

“It’s all about learning and gaining experience. I’m not really worried about this race; my main focus is the Asian Games. I can afford to make a mistake here, but I can’t afford to make one at the Asian Games. So, I’m taking this as a learning experience — understanding what I can do better and how I can improve. Hopefully, next time I’ll be more reactive, more focused, and better prepared,” Singh remarked.