Ashwini Chidananda, Joseph Abraham give double gold to India from 400m hurdles

India’s Ashwini Chidananda and Joseph Abraham completed a golden double in the women’s and men’s 400 metres hurdles at the Asian Games here on Thursday.

The two gold medals took India’s gold count from the track and field to four and ninth overall from the Asian Games.

In the women’s event, with a personal best timing of 56.15 seconds, Ashwini clinched the gold medal at the Aoti Main Stadium. Her compatriot Juana Murmu missed the bronze by a whisker.

The silver went to China’s Wang Xing with a timing of 56.76 secs and Japan’s Satomi Kubokokura got the bronze with a timing of 56.83 secs.

Jauna was fourth in 56.88 secs.

Meanwhile in the men’s event, Abraham won the gold in a photo finish with his season’s best timing of 49.96 secs.

Bandar Yahya Sharahili (50.29 secs) of Saudi Arabia took silver and Japan’s Naohiro Kawakita bronze (50.37 secs).

Tintu Luka als won the bronze medal in the women’s 800 metres event.

Tintu couldn’t keep pace in the last 50 metres and finished third with a timing of 2:01.36 seconds.

The gold went to Kazhakstan’s Margarita Matsko with her personal best timing of 2:00.29 secs while Chinese Truong Thanh Hang with a timing of 2:00.91 secs grabbed the silver.

Tintu’s compatriot Sinimole Paulose finished seventh in 2:06.95 secs.