Tintu wins gold at Karlstad Grand Prix

India's leading 800 metres runner Tintu Luka won the gold medal at Karlstad Grand Prix in Sweden, the first of a series of events planned in preparation for this month's World Championships in South Korea.

Tintu, who won a bronze in the Asian Championships at Kobe, Japan, last month, clocked 2:02.58 seconds to finish first.

However, her effort was well outside her national record of 1:59.17s and the World Championships 'B' standard of 2:01.30s.

Egle Balciunaite of Lithuania was second in 2:02.72s while Melissa Bishop of Canada bagged the bronze in 2:02.80s.

Tintu had already crossed the World Championships 'B' standard when she clocked 2:01.25s to finish sixth in the Commonwealth Games last year.

Another Indian, Ghamanda Ram finished fifth in the men's 800 metres in a timing of 1:47.25s. The race was won by Mukhtar Mohammed of Great Britain, in 1:45.90s. Beijing Olympics silver medallist Ismail Ismail Ahmed of Sudan was second in 1:46.09s.

The World Championships 'B' qualifying standard for the men's 800m race is 1:46.30s.

The Karlstad Grand Prix is first of the four races Tintu has planned to run in Europe in a bid to reach peak form at the World Championships, to be held from August 27 to September 4.

She will now travel to Holland for a meet in Amsterdam on August 6, before competing in events in Copenhagen on August 11 and Brussels on August 13.