New Delhi, April 11 Shot putter Krishna Jayasankar is not happy with the national indoor record she set last month in the USA, and is now aiming to surpass the outdoor mark with further refinement of her technique.
The 23-year-old Jayasankar is from Chennai but is currently studying at the University of Nevada in the USA. Last month, she set a national indoor record in shot put with a throw of 17.09m at an event in the USA.
On Saturday, she competed in her first outdoor event of the season at the Indian Athletics Series 3 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here and finished third with an effort of 16.28m.
"My coach (Steve Lemke) and I were discussing this. And he truly believes I have the ability to throw over 18m. And I said, why not aim for Abha Khatua's 18.41m (national outdoor record)? We've been talking about it," Krishna told
"And he (Lemke) said that we need to fine-tune my technique. And there's still room for improvement. So, I'm excited to see how it goes."
"But, I want to be consistent at 17m and 17.50m first. I had some really good throws today."
She is comfortable traveling frequently between India and the USA, where she is currently based, in order to qualify for the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games later this month and try to win a medal for the country.
"I've never been part of Team India. So, I'm trying to redeem myself this year. I will make it to Team India," she said.
"I'm delighted that I've actually started my outdoor season on a good note. I threw the discus this morning, and I threw 50.08 (for a fifth place finish). I had some good throws in shot put, but my coach has told me that jet lag can cause uncoordinated feet."
"I think the transition is pretty significant because I haven't been throwing the discus for nine months."
Her last competition in India was in August 2024 during the National Open Championships in Bengaluru, where she finished seventh in both shot put and discus throw with efforts of 14.82m and 48.57m respectively.
"I think coming outdoors to a different country, a different transition. I haven't been to India in (nearly) two years. So, getting used to the humidity and all those things, I think my body is adapting. It's going to take some time, but we'll be ready at the right time."
"In the next month, with the preparation I have here, I need to acclimatize to the weather in India. I'm used to being here, coming back. But, the plan is definitely to compete in the Asian Games and the Commonwealth Games for India. The question is, for which event."
"Hopefully, everything will go well. I truly believe I can compete in both events at a high level, which I've done before," said Krishna, who will compete in another Indian Athletics Series and the Federation Cup, both in May.
Her renowned coach Steve Lemke said they will decide within a month which event – shot put or discus – will be her main event.
Asked about her future plans, she said, "The plan is definitely to become a professional athlete. My coach Steve and I are going to have a conversation. Because I just saw him after two years. But, back in the USA, I have to complete my master's degree and train."
"Definitely, the LA 2028 Olympics is a big dream. It's not just a dream; it's a goal I'm working towards. And we have the world championships and world indoors coming up. So, we have a couple of major events lined up for the next few years."
In India, she will be with the Reliance Foundation, for which Lemke is the throws coach.
"I'm going to be training in India. Coach Steve has graciously agreed to coach me. And I'm very grateful to the Reliance Foundation. They have chosen me to be their athlete. And, I'm excited to be a part of it."
"It's an organization that breeds champions. So, I'm ready to be a champion, and to be in the right place at the right time."