Animesh Kujur clocks India's second-fastest 100m, sets fastest overseas time by an Indian
Wetzlar, July 11
India's national 200m record holder Animesh Kujur continued his rapid rise as one of the country's premier sprinters by clocking a personal best 10.14 seconds to finish second in the men's 100m final at the PUMA Fast Arms Fast Legs 2026 meet on Saturday.
The Odisha athlete's performance is the fastest 100m ever recorded by an Indian on foreign soil and the second-fastest by an Indian overall, only behind Gurindervir Singh's national-leading 10.09 seconds. Animesh had shown his form earlier in the day by winning his heat in 10.19 seconds. He improved in the final, shaving one hundredth of a second off his previous personal best of 10.15 seconds. This continues a season in which he has consistently lowered his times.
Already the national record holder in the men's 200m, Animesh has established himself among India's fastest-ever 100m runners. He now owns three of the five fastest 100m times by an Indian, with the all-time list as follows: Gurindervir Singh (10.09s), Animesh Kujur (10.14s), Animesh Kujur (10.15s), Gurindervir Singh (10.17s), and Animesh Kujur (10.18s). His progress in the shorter sprint comes after he secured qualification for the Asian Games 200m at the Inter-State National Athletics Championships in June. He clocked 20.74 seconds, comfortably below the Athletics Federation of India qualifying standard of 20.88 seconds.
Despite achieving the qualifying mark easily, Animesh admitted he was not happy with the timing, saying qualification was his only goal. "Honestly, I was not here for timing. The idea was to secure the qualification mark for the Asian Games. Since I have got it now, I will focus on improving before the Asian Games," he said after the race. His personal best in the 200m is still the national record of 20.32 seconds.
The Inter-State Championships followed India's bronze medal finish in the mixed 4x100m relay at the Asian Relay Championships, where Animesh played a key role. His coach, Martin Owens, revealed that after a demanding travel schedule, the focus had been on securing qualification instead of chasing a fast time. Although Animesh has often said the 200m is his preferred event, many of his biggest improvements in the past year have been in the 100m. Since setting the national 200m record in May 2025, he has gone below 20.50 seconds only once. In the 100m, he has twice lowered the Indian record before Gurindervir Singh reclaimed it with a national-best 10.09 seconds. His latest 10.14-second run highlights his growing status as one of India's top sprinting talents ahead of the Asian Games.
— IANS
Reader Comments
This is impressive, but I think we need to be careful not to overhype. While 10.14 is fantastic for India, it's still a long way from world-class standards. The real test will be the Asian Games, where he'll face stiff competition from countries like China and Japan. I hope the Athletics Federation provides him with the best training and support to close that gap. Good luck to him!
As a track enthusiast from the US, I've been watching Indian sprinting improve steadily over the last few years. Animesh's consistency in both the 100m and 200m is really promising. 10.14 on foreign soil is no joke. Kudos to his coach Martin Owens as well. India might not have the deepest talent pool yet, but athletes like Kujur and Gurindervir Singh are showing the way. Looking forward to seeing what he does in the Asian Games!
So proud of Animesh! Odisha me se aisa talent nikalna bahut accha hai. (It's great to see such talent coming from Odisha.) He's really worked hard and it shows. I just hope he stays injury-free and continues to improve. The Asian Games are going to be huge for him. Ab bas gold medal laana hai! 🇮🇳💪
It's refreshing to see Indian athletics getting this kind of attention. 10.14 is a solid time, and the fact that he's already the national record holder in the 200m shows his versatility. I'm curious why his 200m times haven't improved as much as his 100m times lately. Maybe he should consider focusing more on the 100m? Either way, great achievement.
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