India’s steeplechase runner, Ankita Dhyani, stays optimistic about her future regardless of a combined bag of leads to 2025. The 23-year-old has had a busy and eventful season, competing in a number of competitions, and sees each expertise as each good and dangerous, and extra importantly, as a chance to develop and enhance as an athlete.
Talking completely to IndiaToday, Ankita mirrored on her journey over the previous 12 months.
“2025 has been a protracted and eventful 12 months. There have been many competitions — some went properly, some did not — however I gained plenty of expertise from each the successes and the setbacks. It helped me perceive why sure competitions went easily and why others did not. Total, it has been a really rewarding journey,” she mentioned.
Ankita started the 12 months on a excessive notice on the FISU World College Video games in July, the place she received a silver medal within the ladies’s 3000m steeplechase. She clocked a personal-best time of 9:31.99 to safe second place, marking one of many highlights of her season.
Nevertheless, the The World Athletics Championships introduced a harder problem. Ankita, alongside fellow Indian steeplechaser Parul Chaudhary, was unable to qualify for the ultimate, ending ninth and eleventh, respectively, within the occasion.
“There’s undoubtedly competitors, particularly with skilled athletes like Parul in ladies’s steeplechase. We each have participated within the World Athletics Championships. Any challenges we face — whether or not it is stress or preparation points — are invaluable studying experiences. Humidity or different situations can generally have an effect on efficiency, however total, they assist us develop,” she mentioned.
Trying forward, Ankita is targeted on upcoming competitions that might outline her profession trajectory. The 2026 Asian Video games and the Commonwealth Video games will probably be essential stepping stones as she hopes to push previous her present limits. Her long-term purpose is to safe a spot for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, a problem she is decided to satisfy with constant coaching and expertise.
“2025 has been very promising. I may need missed some targets, however I am longing for the long run. There are various rising athletes in India, and with dedication and exhausting work, we are able to obtain nice leads to upcoming occasions,” Ankita concluded.
As she continues her journey, Ankita’s mixture of resilience, self-discipline, and ambition means that she’s going to stay a key determine in India’s athletics scene, with the potential to attain new milestones in steeplechase and past
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