Malayali athlete U Karthik eyes Asian Games gold, targets new personal best in triple jump

Malayali triple jumper Karthik Unnikrishnan is heading to the Asian Games with a clear target- to better his personal best and win gold.

Karthik's personal best stands at 17.10 metres, which he recorded in 2022. His best effort this season came at the Inter-State Senior Athletics Meet in June, where he jumped 16.80m.

“The goal is definitely gold. I am aiming for a jump that surpasses 17.20 metres,” he told Malayala Manorama.

Karthik is currently training at a camp in Bhubaneswar as he fine-tunes his preparations for the Asian Games. “Right now, I am at the camp in Bhubaneswar. I am trying to acclimatise to the weather conditions in Japan. The preparations are progressing well,” he said.

As part of his build-up to the Games, Karthik will compete in one more event in Delhi on September 10 before travelling to Japan. “As a lead-up to the Asian Games, I will participate in one more competition in Delhi on the 10th. After that, I will travel to Japan. I hope my body will acclimatise to the conditions there within 10 days of arriving,” he said.

The 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, will be held from September 19 to October 4. The athletics events are scheduled to begin on September 23.