Marc Levy once said, “If you want to know the value of one-hundredth of a second, ask the athlete who won a silver medal in the Olympics.”
Though Levy may not know Jyothi Yarraji or her journey, his words resonate profoundly with her story.
In May 2024, Jyothi narrowly missed automatic qualification for the women’s 100m hurdles at the Paris Olympics by just one-hundredth of a second. The 24-year-old clocked 12.78 seconds, tying her national record, but fell just short of the Olympic standard of 12.77 seconds.
Jyothi's struggle with the razor-thin margin of 0.1 seconds is a recurring theme in her career. Remarkably, she also missed the Olympic entry standard by the same fraction at the World University Games in Chengdu, China, last year.
Once could be chalked up to coincidence, twice to bad luck.
Pressure is Inevitable, Meditation Helps
But perhaps Jyothi's fortune took a turn for the better. Despite those narrow misses, Jyothi secured her spot for Paris 2024 through her ranking, making history as the first Indian hurdler to qualify for the Olympics in the 100m hurdles.
With a final ranking of 34th, she earned her place among the top 40 athletes heading to the Summer Games.
As athletes push their limits, the immense pressure of the world’s biggest sporting event can be overwhelming. To stay centered and focused amid the Olympic intensity, Jyothi embraced meditation as her sanctuary of calm.
Before heading to Paris, Jyothi spoke to The Quint and shared:
I'm moving forward with a positive mindset and game plan. The preparation is very intense, and there will be strong competition. There will definitely be some pressure, but I try to concentrate on my race and apply what I did in training to the competition. I'm focusing more on recovery and meditation to stay calm and focused for the Olympics.Jyothi Yarraji
Fierce Rivals Await
In Paris, Jyothi faces formidable rivals on the track. USA's Masai Russell has etched her name into the history books with a blistering 12.25 seconds in Oregon this June, placing her fourth on the all-time list. Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan, the reigning world record holder, starred with a 12.12-second finish in Eugene, Oregon, in 2022.
Jamaica’s Ackera Nugent set a national record of 12.28 seconds at the 2024 Jamaican Championships, while France’s Cyrena Samba-Mayela claimed both the championship and national record with a time of 12.31 seconds.
Ready For Bigger Challenges
These elite hurdlers will be significant challenges for Jyothi at the Stade de France. However, Jyothi is fully aware of the competition and has trained rigorously to not just match but surpass their level.
Jyothi’s coach, James Hiller had revealed:
She wants to be the best she can be. She’s never satisfied with running 12.7 seconds; she wants to run faster. Every day, she comes to me saying, "Coach, this girl ran this time and this girl did that." She's like a student of the sport, knowing more than me about what's going on out there and telling me all the updates. She’s driven to be absolutely the best she can be. That motivation comes from within her, and it's brilliant.James Hiller
Evolved Since 2022 Asian Games
Jyothi has made history as the first Indian woman to medal in the 100m hurdles at the Asian Games, securing a silver with a time of 12.78 seconds. While this is far behind the Tokyo Olympics gold medalist’s 12.37 seconds, Coach Hiller is confident that Jyothi has evolved significantly since then. He’s confident that she’s now stronger and more resilient than she was last September.
She's preparing diligently, and I know she'll be a different athlete than she was at the Asian Games. We saw how tough she was then, but she's even tougher now. She's a different person in terms of her confidence, understanding of the sport, and overall growth from last year. I'm very confident and proud of her going into this. I know she'll do her best, and the important thing is that she's doing it for herself.Jyothi Yarraji
Trusting The Process is the Key
Jyothi is fully aware of the formidable competition ahead, but she places even greater faith in her preparation. In Paris, her success hinges on staying true to her training routine and applying her proven strategies.
For Jyothi, sticking to the plan and trusting her process will be the key to navigating the challenge.
The Olympics will be a tough competition, but my approach remains the same. The hurdles, the distance, and the starting gun are all consistent. I just need to approach it as I would any other race. If I start thinking of it as something extraordinary, it could be overwhelming. Instead, I’ll focus on applying my preparation and approach as I always do. That's my goal.Jyothi Yarraji
Coach Hiller is already brimming with pride over the dedication Jyothi has shown. Medal or not, even a top 12 finish will “delight” him.
If she does her best and it results in winning a medal, making a final, or even reaching the top 12, we’ll be absolutely delighted. Whatever the outcome, she has done her best, and you can't ask for more from an athlete.James Hiller
Beyond Norman Pritchard and Neeraj Chopra, India has yet to celebrate another athletics medalist at the Olympics.
On 8 August, Neeraj will once again chase gold in javelin, while Jyothi will have her sights set on making history—becoming the first Indian woman to medal in athletics at the Olympics.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)