Asiad 2010: Preeja Sreedharan wins 4th gold for India in Athletics

Guangzhou: Top Indian long-distance runner Preeja Sreedharan clocked a personal best of 31:50:47 in the women’s 10,000m final to clinch the country’s fourth gold medal at the Asian Games here today.

In pic: India’s Preeja Sreedharan (foreground) finishes in first place to win the women’s 10,000 metres final at the Aoti Main stadium in Guangzhou on Sunday.

Kavita Raut, who won the bronze in the women’s 10000m at the Commonwealth Games last month, walked away with the silver with a personal best timing of 31:51.44.

Sreedharan, who had finished fifth in both the 5000m and the 10,000m in the last edition of the Games in 2006, raised her performance to give India a flying start in track and field competition.

The 28-year-old’s previous personal best for the 10,000m was 32:04:41 recorded at Watford in June, 2008. The 25-year-old Kavita’s previous personal best was 32:41.31 in May this year.

Bahrain’s Shitaya Eshete Habtegebrel won the bronze with a personal best timing of 31:53:27 at the Aoti Main Stadium.

Earlier in the day, Ronjan Sodhi won the 3rd gold medal for the country in the men’s double trap individual event here.