Mrithika, Neil Samraj and Abinaya Rajarajan Lead Sprint Spectacle at National Junior Athletics Championships 2026

T. Mrithika secured consecutive U18 girls’ 100m titles with another personal best, Neil Samraj broke the U18 boys’ national record for the second successive competition, and Abinaya Rajarajan clocked 11.49s to win the U20 women’s crown.

Tamil Nadu’s sprinters delivered a series of standout performances at the 41st National Junior Athletics Championships 2026, with T. Mrithika, Neil Samraj and Abinaya Rajarajan producing headline-grabbing results in the 100m events.

Mrithika continued her impressive progress in the girls’ U18 category by winning her second consecutive national-level title with a personal best of 11.71 seconds. Neil went even faster in the boys’ U18 final, clocking 10.45 seconds to improve his national record for the second consecutive competition. Meanwhile, Abinaya claimed the women’s U20 title in 11.49 seconds, faster than her previous age-category national record of 11.54 seconds, although her eligibility for record ratification remains a consideration.

Together, the performances highlighted the depth of sprinting talent emerging from Tamil Nadu and provided several important benchmarks for Indian junior athletics.

Mrithika’s victory in the girls’ U18 100m was another significant step in her development. The Tamil Nadu sprinter clocked 11.71 seconds to claim gold, improving on the personal best of 11.78 seconds she recorded while winning the Youth Nationals title last month.

The latest performance represents a 0.07-second improvement on her previous best. At sprint distances, such gains are meaningful, particularly for an athlete competing against the country’s leading juniors.

Her back-to-back titles also underline her ability to reproduce strong performances across consecutive competitions rather than rely on a single breakthrough race.

Karnataka’s Suchithra finished second in 11.98 seconds, while Maharashtra’s Saawari secured bronze in 12.09 seconds. Both athletes completed the podium behind Mrithika, who once again demonstrated her current advantage in the U18 field.

The next challenge for Mrithika will be to continue lowering her time as she gains experience at national competitions. Her progression from 11.78 seconds to 11.71 seconds in a short period provides a clear indication of the improvement she has made this season.

Neil Samraj breaks the U18 national record again

Neil Samraj produced one of the most significant performances of the championships in the boys’ U18 100m final. The Tamil Nadu sprinter clocked 10.45 seconds, improving the U18 national record for the second consecutive competition.

At his previous competition, Neil had run 10.46 seconds to establish the record while winning the Youth Nationals title. He subsequently lowered that mark by another 0.01 seconds at the National Junior Athletics Championships.

The latest performance is particularly notable because it follows his strong showing in the semifinals, where he clocked 10.51 seconds to record the fastest time across all three heats of the semifinal round.

Rajasthan’s Abhishek and Kerala’s J. Nivedh had both clocked 10.67 seconds in the semifinals, sharing the second-fastest time. In the final, however, Nivedh secured silver in 10.67 seconds, while Abhishek took bronze in 10.78 seconds.

Neil’s 10.45-second winning time also matched the winning time recorded in the U20 men’s 100m final. However, the U20 result is currently under protest, and the outcome should therefore be treated with that qualification in mind.

For Neil, the immediate significance is clear: he has improved the national record in successive competitions and demonstrated that his Youth Nationals performance was not an isolated result. His progression will now be closely watched as he looks to lower the mark further.

Abinaya Rajarajan clocks 11.49 seconds in U20 final

Abinaya Rajarajan added another major result to Tamil Nadu’s sprinting success by winning the women’s U20 100m title in 11.49 seconds.

The time was faster than her previous U20 national record of 11.54 seconds. However, the performance may not qualify for ratification as a U20 national record under standard age-eligibility rules, as Abinaya turns 20 in 2026.

Despite that qualification, the result remains a significant performance in her return season following injury.

Abinaya has already clocked 11.34 seconds this season and recorded a personal best of 11.31 seconds. Her 11.49-second championship-winning effort is listed as the third-fastest time of her career, underlining the level she has reached despite her recent injury comeback.

Gujarat’s Kajal Hirabai Vaja claimed silver in a personal best of 11.61 seconds, while Haryana’s Nancy finished third in 11.83 seconds.

Kajal’s performance was another encouraging aspect of the final. Her 11.61-second run marked her third consecutive personal best of the day, reflecting consistent improvement across the competition.

The results across the three 100m finals offered a compelling picture of the talent emerging in Indian junior sprinting. Mrithika improved her personal best while winning a second consecutive U18 title, Neil lowered the U18 national record once again, and Abinaya delivered a strong winning performance in the U20 category.

Their performances also highlighted different stages of athletic development: Mrithika is building consistency through successive titles, Neil is repeatedly raising the national benchmark in his age group, and Abinaya is regaining competitive form after injury.

For Indian athletics, the priority will be to sustain this progress through continued competition and development. Personal bests and national records provide important indicators, but maintaining improvement across seasons will be essential to determining how these athletes transition towards senior-level competition.

At the 41st National Junior Athletics Championships 2026, the sprint events have already produced several standout moments. With three prominent performances led by Tamil Nadu athletes, the championships have underlined the potential of the next generation of Indian sprinters.

The immediate headline belongs to Neil Samraj’s 10.45-second record, Mrithika’s latest personal best of 11.71 seconds and Abinaya’s 11.49-second title-winning run. Each result represents a different milestone, but all three point towards a promising period for junior sprinting in India.