Jyothi Yarraji defended her women’s 100m hurdles gold at the 2025 Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi, Republic of Korea, on 29 May, clocking a championship record of 12.96 seconds in an empty stadium due to rain, ahead of Japan’s Yumi Tanaka and China’s Yanni Wu who got better starts but were overtaken by Yarraji’s strong finish.
Coach James Hillier praised her as a “class act” executing the race plan perfectly, while Yarraji shouted with joy at the line, her first sub-13 of the season after tweaking back to an eight-stride technique to avoid injuries from last year’s seven-stride Olympic attempt. This victory builds on her 2023 Bangkok triumph (13.09s), fuelling her World Championships qualification push as she eyes sub-12.73 times.
Rain-Soaked Record Defence
The scene in Gumi’s stadium was one of stark solitude, much like her iconic 2023 win, as relentless rain forced spectators to seek shelter, leaving Yarraji to race against the clock, the downpour, and her rivals in eerie silence.
The 27-year-old from Visakhapatnam, standing tall at 1.78 metres, powered through from the eighth hurdle despite a sluggish start that saw her trail initially her long stride length initially a hindrance but transforming into a weapon as she surged rhythmically to the line.
Clocking 12.96 seconds, she not only defended her title but etched a new championship record, edging out Tanaka (13.04s) and Wu (13.12s), who had explosive beginnings but faded under Yarraji’s relentless closing speed.
“When I reached the finish line, I felt nobody was near me in so many years, I have not shouted with joy after a race,” Yarraji revealed to reporters, her voice laced with uncharacteristic elation after years of stoic finishes marred by near-misses, including the heartbreak of the Paris Olympics where her bold seven-stride technique led to clipped hurdles and a ninth-place finish.
Coach James Hillier, who has moulded her since 2020, beamed with pride: “She’s a class act. She executed the race plan perfectly stronger, leaner, with lower body fat, she’s among the world’s best over the final hurdles now.”
This triumph marked her first sub-13-second performance of the 2025 season, a critical benchmark after a hamstring niggle in April sidelined her briefly, underscoring her mental fortitude honed through countless rain-soaked practices back home.
Resilience Forged in Setbacks
Yarraji’s journey from the dusty tracks of Pombaram village near Visakhapatnam to Asia’s hurdling queen is a testament to unyielding grit, beginning in 2017 when she pivoted from long jump to hurdles on a whim during state trials little did she know it would redefine Indian athletics.
Overcoming early financial hurdles, including borrowing spikes and training on makeshift barriers, she caught the eye of the Reliance Foundation, which backed her move to coach Hillier in Hyderabad.
Her breakthrough came in 2023 at Bangkok’s Supachalasai Stadium, where, amid another rain-evacuated empty venue, she became the first Indian woman to win 100m hurdles gold (13.09s), shattering her national record en route.
The years since have been a rollercoaster: a national record of 12.78s in 2024, Olympic disappointment in Paris due to technique risks, and a triumphant return via the National Games in February 2025, where she blazed to 200m gold in 23.35s, securing her Asian Championships spot.
Reverting to the safer eight-stride pattern abandoning the aggressive seven-stride Olympic gamble has boosted her hurdle clearance frequency, minimising the hits her long legs once endured.
Athletics Federation of India President Adille Sumariwalla lauded her post-Gumi: “Jyothi’s medals are India’s pride she’s a beacon of perseverance.” Sports Minister support via Khelo India schemes has amplified her training, with India leading the medals tally that day, thanks in part to her haul alongside high jumper Tejaswin Shankar’s bronze.
This latest gold propels her towards the 2026 World Championships in Tokyo, where a sub-12.73s is the entry standard; at her current trajectory, with refined early-race rhythm, experts see her contending for global medals. Her story resonates beyond the track, inspiring rural girls to lace up amid India’s push for athletic infrastructure.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Jyothi Yarraji’s back-to-back golds in rain-lashed, silent stadiums are more than athletic feats they embody the profound courage that binds a nation, echoing The Logical Indian’s ethos of empathy for those whose sacrifices unfold without fanfare.
In an era of viral spectacles, her quiet roar at the finish line reminds us to honour the discipline driving progress, fostering harmony through sport’s ability to unite diverse communities in shared aspiration and kindness. By championing such stories, we advocate for equitable investments in grassroots talent, nurturing coexistence and positive change across India’s sporting landscape.
