Shaili Singh on Sunday began her international outdoor season with a third-placed finished at the Seiko Golden Grand Prix in Yokohama, Japan. Shaili, who won silver at the under-20 Worlds in 2021 and has a personal best of 6.76m, achieved a wind-assisted jump of 6.65m (+2.1), which was her best performance of the day.
She maintained her lead until the halfway point of the competition, but was surpassed by Germany’s Maryse Luzolo, who recorded a wind-aided jump of 6.79m (+2.5) in the fifth round to claim the gold. Australia’s Brooke Buschkuehl, the World No. 8 and Commonwealth Games silver medallist with a personal best of 7.13m, took the silver medal with a jump of 6.77m.
Shaili’s series of jumps also included a legal wind-aided jump of 6.59m in the second round. Her performance in this category ‘A’ event is expected to improve her position in the ‘Road to Budapest’ rankings. Currently ranked 42nd, Shaili needs to climb a few spots in order to secure a spot at the World Championships in Hungary in August. The qualification deadline for the Budapest Worlds is July 30.