Seema Punia crashes out of Rio Games after 20th place finish

TIL Desk Sports/ India’s Seema Antil Punia failed to qualify for the final of the women’s discus throw competition at the Rio Olympic Games after finishing 20th with a modest throw of 57.58m under tough playing conditions at the Olympic Stadium on Monday.

The 33-year-old Seema began with 57.58m in her first attempt and then fouled her second try before hurling the disc to a distance of 56.78m to finish ninth in the Group B qualification round and 20th overall as winds and heavy rain played havoc, affecting the performance of the athletes. She was way behind her personal best mark of 62.62m. The final round qualifying mark was set at 62m or the best 12 performers and the tough conditions made it difficult for all participants to produce their best.

Yaime Perez of Cuba topped the qualification round with 65.38m, followed by Su Xinyue of China with 65.14m. Pre-event favourite and 2012 London gold medallist Sandra Perkovic of Croatia was third in the qualification round with 64.81m. 2014 Asiad gold medalist Seema, who had training stints in USA and Russia in her build-up to the Olympics, thus, failed to get past the qualification round in all her three Olympics appearances.