For Athens, Anju needs luck with leaps

It’s an old failing, which Anju and her coach-cum-husband Bobby have often admitted to but haven’t yet been able to sort out. At the Super Grand Meet in Madrid last year she had a similar story, ending up sixth with three fouls.

Back then, it was put down to a lack of international experience but things are different now and the flaw could cost her the ultimate goal — an Olympic medal.

At Ostrava, Anju was aiming for seven metres as a morale booster for Athens. Instead it dampened her spirit — more so given the fact that Marion Jones was not jumping too well and Anju had a golden chance to finish ahead of her and emerge as a strong contender at Athens. But she lost the initiative.

Up in the ladder, two Russian ladies enlivened proceedings for the top spots. Tatyana Lebedeva, a rare long and triple jump world indoor gold medallist, opened the competition with a 6.77 metres effort. She was still in the lead when Tatyana Kotova sprang a seven-metre shocker to equal the meet record and upstage Lebedeva who stopped at 6.91 metres. ‘‘ I jumped very well today but at the Olympics, if I wish to win, I will have to jump even more. I have to add 15 or 20 cm’’, Kotova said after the competition. Like Anju, Lebedeva too must be regretting her three successive invalid jumps after the opening lead. But the advantage of 6.77 opener helped her stay in the competition and then increase it to 6.91.

Marion Jones was consistently at the third spot and remained there with 6.67 metres. But she seemed disappointed wither performance. ‘‘I am not satisfied with my today’s performance. I simply have to jump further. I did not have any problems. I was fast enough but did not catch the take off board properly’’, she said.

Italian Fiona May was next with her second attempt of 6.59 – same as Anju’s but did it before the Indian to stay ahead.

Incidentally, in Paris World Championship Anju had finished third — just four centimeters behind Kotova.

Anju’s fifth spot fetched her Euro 2,500 as the cash award. Now she moves to Eugene, USA for the Prefontaine Classic on June 19.