Still undecided about the events they will be competing in at the 2016 Rio Olympics, Indian athletics trio of OP Jaisha, Lalita Babar and Sudha Singh will take a final call after the Mumbai Marathon on January 17.
"It's clear from all ends that we will decide on what events they would compete in Olympics not later than January in 2016," National long and middle distance running coach Nikolai Snesarev said on Friday.
On their Olympic prospects, the 67-year-old Belarusian said: "A lot can happen in seven months' time, if nobody creates a problem for us."
Currently, there's a confusion over the choice of events for the trio who are seen as medal prospects in track and field, a discipline where India never won any medal at the quadrennial extravaganza.
Lalita booked her ticket for Rio in the road event after clocking 2:38.21s en route to her third successive title in Mumbai Marathon earlier this year.
Hailing from Satara, the drought-prone Sahyadri region of Maharashtra, Lalita broke the national record and achieved her personal best again -- thrice in two years -- while winning the Asian championship steeplechase gold at Wuhan and thereby getting a second ticket to Rio.
There was another national record in store for Lalita when she won the Delhi Half Marathon on November 30 earlier this year, clocking 1:10:52s, about two minutes better than state mate Kavita Raut.
"My focus is currently on the Mumbai Marathon (January 17, 2016) after which I will decide as to which event to run," Lalita, who will be eyeing a fourth successive win, said.
Since returning to India last year, Snesarev has asked Jaisha and Sudha to focus on road events and the results were seen as both of them achieved the Olympic standards by finishing inside top 20 at the World Championships in Beijing in August this year.
Jaisha has been all the more impressive as she broke the national record twice in eight months but there seems to be a difference of opinion.
Jaisha reportedly wants to turn her attention back to the 5000m while Sudha to 3000m steeplechase, even as they are yet to qualify the Olympic standards in the respective events.
"After Mumbai Marathon, we will decide whether to run in track or road," Jaisha said flanked by Sudha and Snesarev during a meet and greet event hosted by the Tata Steel Kolkata 25K which will have its second edition of the race in Kolkata on Sunday.
Having finished 1-2-3 in Delhi, Lalita, Jaisha and Sudha will now train their eyes on the unique 25-kilometre race.
"It's a first for me but we have a good field and we hope to take it easy," Lalita said.
