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He's done it again: Zohri sets new personal best, qualifies for 2020 Tokyo Olympics
Indonesian sprinter Lalu Muhammad Zohri has secured a ticket to compete at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics after finishing third at the 2019 Seiko Grand Prix in Osaka, Japan.
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Indonesian sprinter Lalu Muhammad Zohri (left) and his coach Eni Nuraini. (PASI/PASI)
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ndonesian sprinter Lalu Muhammad Zohri has secured a spot at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics after clocking a time of 10.03 seconds at 2019 Seiko Golden Grand Prix in Osaka, Japan, on Sunday.
Zohri's time was enough to secure an Olympic ticket, beating the required qualification time of 10.05.
The 18-year-old from West Nusa Tenggara extended his gratitude to fellow Indonesians who have prayed for his success and also thanked Bob Hasan, the Indonesian Athletics Association (PASI) chief, and his coaches, including Eni Nuraeni Sumartoyo.
"I thank God for this achievement," Zohri said in a voice note shared by PASI on Sunday. "I thank the Indonesians, especially West Nusa Tenggara residents, for their prayers, as I could not have achieved this without your support and prayers."
During the 100 meter heat final, Zohri, who ran in an outside lane, finished third behind the winner Justin Gatlin of the United States and runner-up Yoshihide Kiryu of Japan. Olympic gold and silver medalist Gatlin clocked in at 10 seconds to own Sunday's race, while Kiryu, who defeated Zohri at last month's Asian Athletics Championship in Doha, recorded 10.01.
In Osaka, Zohri broke his personal best of 10.13 seconds, a time that saw him win silver in Doha.
The Olympic qualifications for several events, including sprint, began on May 1 and will end on June 29, 2020. Meanwhile, the qualifications for the other track categories, such as the marathon, race walking, combined events, relays and 10,000 m began in January.
