Vikas Gowda won gold at Jamaican International meet

India discus thrower Vikas Gowda has won gold at 12th Jamaica International Invitational, an IAAF World Challenge meet at the National Stadium.

• Vikas Gowda set a new meet record of 65.14m to win the men’s discus throw.
• Chad Wright of Jamaica was second with a throw of 61.84m
• Jared Schuurmans of United States was third with an effort of 61.62m.
• With this, he broke his own record 61.38m set two years ago here in Kingston.
• It was the second straight win for Gowda who had won the event here .
• Gowda needs to break the qualifying standard of 66m to qualify for Rio 2016, though his national record stands at 66.28m.
• He was eighth in the IAAF World Junior Championships in 2002 held here in Kingston.

About Vikas Gowda :

• Clinched the Gold for India in the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games with a throw of 63.64m,
• Won silver medal in 2014 Incheon Asian Games.
• He won his first gold medal in Asian Championships in 2013 in Pune, with a throw of 64.90 meters.
• His personal best throw is 66.90 meters which is also Indian national record in discus throw, achieved in 2013.
• He contested at the 2008 Beijing Olympics but failed to reach the finals after finishing 22nd in the qualifiers, with a throw of 60.69 m.
• In 2012 London Olympics, Vikas qualified for the finals, at the fifth place, with a throw of 65.20 m and finished 8th in the finals.
• He is supported by Olympic Gold Quest.
• He is the second Indian man to win athletics gold
•  56 years ago, Milkha Singh, won the men’s 440 yards at the Cardiff 1958 Games.
• He was recommended by Athletics Federation of India for Rajiv Khel Ratna Award.