World Athletics Championships: Indians disappoint as Dutee crashes out

India began their campaign in the World Athletics Championships on a disappointing note with sprinter Dutee Chand and quartermiler Muhammed Anas Yahiya crashing out in the first round heats in London on Saturday.

Swapna Barman figured among the bottom heap in the seven-event heptathlon on the second day of competitions.

Dutee, who got a quota entry despite failing to come up with the qualification standard, finished sixth in heat number five of the women's 100m first round after clocking a below-par 12.07secs.

The Odisha girl's performance was well below her season's best of 11.30 seconds though the track was a bit damp after light rain lashed the Olympic Stadium during the women's 100m first round and the temperature also dropped below 20 degree Celsius.

She finished 38th overall among 47 athletes.

It was always going to be tough for the 21-year-old Dutee against a top class field in this global event. There was an outside chance of making it to the semi-finals and her performance would disappoint all those who have been racking her career.

Dutee, who ran at lane number six, said she got nervous due to the disqualification of German athlete Tatjana Pinto, who was at the adjacent lane number five, for a false start.

The Indian also had a slow start as her reaction time was 0.174 secs, the sixth worse among the seven competitors.

In the men's 400m first round, Anas' was at the final heat (number six), and he needed either to be in the top three or run better than 45.70 secs to qualify for the semi-finals.

The 22-year-old Kerala athlete ran a season's and personal best of 45.32 secs in mid May in New Delhi but he could not replicate that feat here, clocking 45.98 secs to finish fourth in his heat. Overall, Anas finished 33rd among the 52 competitors.

Anas came out of the blocks in good time of 0.155 seconds, the third best among the seven competitors, but lagged behind the others after the first 100m.

"I could have been in the top three but lost the chance in the final 300m. I was running good in the first 100m but could not maintain the momentum. Now I will have to do well in the relay (men's 4x400m)," he said.

"I am disappointed. Now I hope to do well in the Commonwealth and Asian Games next year," he added.