The domestic athletics season is still in its early stages, but Chandigarh University’s Tanya Chaudhary has already delivered one of the standout performances of the year.
Competing at the 85th National Inter-University Athletics Championship at the Swarajya Stadium in Moodubidiri on Friday, the 23-year-old hammer thrower produced a massive effort of 65.60m to win gold and surpass Sarita Singh’s nine-year-old national mark in the women’s hammer throw.
With a long and demanding season ahead featuring the Asian Games and the Commonwealth Games athletes across the country are only beginning to build momentum. Against that backdrop, Tanya’s throw stands out not just for its distance, but for what it suggests about her form and potential in the months to come.
Sarita Singh’s record of 65.25m, set in 2017, had stood unchallenged for nearly a decade, reflecting the difficulty of making significant gains in the technically demanding hammer throw. Tanya’s 65.60m effort went well beyond incremental improvement, marking a clear breakthrough at the national level and announcing her arrival as a serious contender in the event.
The performance also represented a sharp jump from her previous personal best of 63.91m, achieved in Chennai last August. According to Tanya, the improvement is closely linked to changes in her training setup following a difficult 2024 season.
“In 2024, I was with Reliance and the coach there changed my technique. That didn’t suit me, and my last season was not good,” she explained. “So I came back home to train under Sachin Yadav, who had coached me earlier. He changed my technique and workout plan, and that helped.” As mentioned to Sportstar
The decision to return to a familiar coaching environment appears to have paid immediate dividends. Hammer throw is an event where rhythm, timing, and confidence in technique are critical, and even small disruptions can have a significant impact on performance. Tanya’s ability to rediscover form so early in the season suggests that the technical adjustments have settled quickly.
While the throw broke the existing national record distance, it will not be officially recognised as an Indian national record. The Athletics Federation of India does not ratify records achieved at university-level competitions, regardless of the performance. As a result, Tanya’s 65.60m will stand as a meet record rather than an official national mark.
This distinction, though administrative, has sparked discussion within athletics circles. University championships often feature strong fields and high-quality performances, but the lack of formal record recognition continues to create a gap between performance and official status.
Adding to the unusual circumstances, Tanya was not subjected to a dope test following her record-breaking throw. Addressing the issue directly, she said, “There was no dope test today but NADA can take my sample anywhere, any time so there is nothing like that. Anyway, since this is not a World Athletics-certified competition, it will not be considered as a National record but it’s a meet record for sure.”
Her response reflects a clear understanding of the system and a calm acceptance of the situation. For Tanya, the focus appears firmly on performance progression rather than immediate validation.
The 85th National Inter-University Athletics Championship was a five-day event and Tanya’s effort marked the first record-level performance of the meet, even if unofficial in national terms. As the championship concluded, her throw remained the defining moment, setting a high benchmark for the rest of the domestic season.
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Looking ahead, the implications of the 65.60m throw could be significant. With Asian and Commonwealth competitions on the horizon, achieving such a distance in January suggests considerable upside as the season progresses. If Tanya can reproduce or improve upon this mark at Athletics Federation of India-recognised meets later in the year, she will place herself firmly in contention for major international assignments.
For now, Tanya Chaudhary’s performance in Moodubidiri stands as an early-season statement one that signals both the end of a long-standing domestic benchmark and the emergence of an athlete aiming much higher. Whether officially ratified or not, the distance speaks for itself.
Quotes as given to NNIS & Sportstar.
