Poonia finishes 3rd in US, Gowda 7th in Diamond League

On a training-cum-competition stint in the United States, ace Indian discus thrower Krishna Poonia finished third in an international competition with an effort below the Glasgow Commonwealth Games qualifying standard set by Athletics Federation of India.
Poonia, the reigning Commonwealth Games champion, hurled the discus to a distance of 58.26m which is below the CWG qualifying standard of 58.46m.
She achieved her best mark of the day in her third attempt in the 2014 Imperial Section of USATF Championships held at Chula Vista Olympic Training Centre, San Diego last night.
Poonia, who has been training at the OTC Chula Vista to prepare for the CWG, said she has regained full fitness from her groin injury and she should be in her top form before the Games.

"I have regained full fitness and I am hoping to cross the qualifying standard soon," she said.
Meanwhile, men's discus throw national record holder and Glasgow CWG medal prospect Vikas Gowda finished eighth in a field of 10 with a throw of 61.49 in the sixth leg of the IAAF Diamond League Meetings here.
US-based Gowda had already crossed the AFI qualifying standard of 60.45m for the Glasgow CWG after he recorded a throw of 65.62m in Tucson, Arizona, last month for his season's best which is also the leading mark in Asia for the season.
Gowda had won a silver in the first leg of Diamond League Meetings in Doha on May 10 with a throw of 63.23m.