Pinki claims golden double

Teenager Pinki Pramanik stole the show with her second consecutive golden double in the 400 and 800 metres, while Anju Bobby George was again forced to settle for silver in the women's long jump, in the third and final leg of the Asian Grand Prix athletics meet in Pune on Friday.

Pinki won her third successive women's 800m in the circuit with a personal best of 2 min 03.23 sec and then flashed to the finish line by outclassing the field in the one-lap race in 52.92 secs.

Mahan Singh was the other Indian athlete to make a big mark by winning the men's high jump for a hat-trick of Grand Prix titles this season, having already won the event in the first two legs at Bangkok (May 18) and Bangalore (May 22).

Mahan had a best leap of 7.73 metres, his season's best, after having won the titles in the previous two Asian meets.

Anju, having come to Pune to take part with a soft tissue injury of the heel, looked pretty flat while clearing 6.46 metres in her first jump, which was easily overtaken by Olga Rypakova of Kazakhstan with a clearance 6.49m.

The latter virtually sewed up her third successive crown in the Asian GP by clearing 6.61m after Anju had done 6.39m in her second attempt.

Later, Anju cleared 6.38m in her third jump, fouled her fourth and then had a poor 6.14m off the fifth before limping off and forfeiting her last two jumps.

Olga, meanwhile, jumped to modest distances of 6.25m and 6.31m before deciding not to take her last two attempts as she had already won the title.

Final results: