Beijing, Aug 28 (IANS): Khushbir Kaur, India's national record holder in women's 20 kilometre race walk, finished a disappointing 37th out of 50 participants at the World Athletics Championships here on Friday.
The 22-year-old completed the race in an hour, 38 minutes and 53 seconds. She crossed the 5 km mark in 23:21.36 and the 10 km mark in 47:26.42. She took 1:12:38 to go past the 15 km mark at the iconic Bird's Nest.
Her effort was way below then her personal best of 1:31:40. The Amritsar girl had won a silver at the 2014 Incheon Asian Games, clocking 1:33:07. Khushbir had finished 39th (1:34:28) in the last edition of the Worlds two years ago at Moscow.
Sapana, the other Indian in the fray, was disqualified. The 27-year-old was 47th at the 5 km split, timing 24.05 but was the first walker to be disqualified in the race, even before reaching the 10 km mark.
China claimed its first gold medal in the championships as Liu Hong finished the race in 1:27:45. Compatriot Lyu Xiuzhi ended second while Ukrainian Lyudmyla Olyanovska took the bronze.
Saturday will see Sandeep Kumar and Manish Singh Rawat take part in the 50 km men's race walk followed by the women's 4x400m relay heats where four members of the Indian squad of Debashree Mazumdar, M.R. Poovamma, Anu Raghavan, Jisna Mathew and Tintu Luka will take part.
The evening session will see Vikas Gowda in the men's discus throw final.