Fijian middle-distance runner Yeshnil Karan has set a new personal best in the men’s 1500m at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, clocking 3 minutes 50.77 seconds.
The time betters his previous mark of 3 minutes 51.14 seconds, which he set at the Australian Championships in Perth earlier this year.
Competing in Heat 2, Karan was the only athlete across all four heats to record a personal best, despite the warm and humid early-morning conditions.
His race was run tactically, with a fast opening 100m in 14.5 seconds, a slowed 64.5-second lap, followed by a strong 61.9s third lap, and a brilliant closing surge over the final 600m in 89.7 seconds.
“It was a new experience, my first World Championships, lining up against world and Olympic champions,” Karan said.
“The last 600m was really fast, and I’m pleased with my performance, especially given my limited preparation while I was back in Fiji for the arrival of our second son. With only six weeks of focused training in Brisbane, I am happy to have achieved a PB.”
Coach Atma Maharaj praised Karan’s effort, saying his performance underlined his potential and marked an “excellent audition” on the world stage.
Karan now turns his focus to a stronger build-up for the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
