'Running with faster athletes will only make me faster': India's Animesh Kujur eyes glory after historic Diamond League debut

Indian sports enthusiasts who have heard the stories of the great Milkha Singh and have witnessed the ascension of legendary Usain Bolt and current Olympic champion Noah Lyles have longed to see an Indian athlete shine on the biggest stage of sprint racing. The yearning has finally come to an end as Animesh Kujur of India is going places.

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Animesh Kujur scripts history

Hailed as India’s fastest man, Kujur recently competed in the U23 200m race at the Monaco Diamond League and finished fourth, clocking an impressive timing of 20.55s. He thereby became the first Indian sprinter ever to compete in the Diamond League.

Following the culmination of the race, an expressive Kujur revealed that had expected to notch a better time and also reflected on how it felt after catching sight of some of the sports’ renowned representatives.

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“I expected a better time, but I competed with big athletes like Gout Gout, and it was a great experience. I saw Noah Lyles and Lestlie Tebogo. I saw their warm-up and pre-race routines. I learned new things from them, which I’m going to implement in my warm-up, as I now know how an elite athlete trains,” Kujur told reporters, as quoted by The Indian Express.

“The best experience was when I entered the stadium. Looking at such a big crowd and the stadium completely packed made me more energetic. The adrenaline was high, and I had never felt like that before,” Kujur added.

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Aiming for the stars

Finishing fourth behind Gout Gout (Australia), Collen Kebinatshipi (Botswana) and Jack Naeem (South Africa), all of whom have a better personal best than him, the Indian cherished the experience and showcased his intentions of improving.

“Running with faster athletes will only make me faster. The South African (Naeem) was my roommate, and I had a lot of conversations with him about running fast and improving.”

Following his stint with some of the world’s top young sprinters, he’ll head to Switzerland for training and a July 15 meet in Geneva, before joining the Indian contingent for the World University Games in Germany.

“Right now, our schedule is very tight as we travel to Germany from here and will work with the relay team for the World University Games. Before that, Animesh will run at a meet in Geneva,” Kujur’s coach Martin Owens told the reporters.