Discus thrower Seema Punia booked her Rio Olympics berth in style, grabbing a gold with her season’s best at the Pat Young’s Throwers Classic 2016 at Salinas, California. The Asian Games gold medallist hurled the discus to 62.62m, overhauling the Rio qualification mark of 61.00m. Seema pipped 2008 Olympic discus throw champion Stephanie Brown-Trafton of USA for the top prize.
Elated with her win, she said, "There is a sea change from 2004 up to now. Discus throw is my passion. This time I didn’t have much time to prepare, but I have a gut feeling that Rio will be my best Olympic Games." She is now training in the US under the government’s Target Olympic Podium Scheme, clinched the gold in the Incheon Asiad with a throw of 61.03m.
Meanwhile, 2010 Commonwealth Games women’s discus champion Krishna Poonia picked up a silver medal at a qualification competition in the Chula-Vista Olympic Training Centre, San Diego, with a throw of 57.97 metres.
