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Anju Qualifies - go Anju go....

To most of us No 13 would be extremely unlucky. But not for Anju George. Listed to jump at that inauspicious digit in Group A, Anju strode down the runway and landed at 6.69 metres and qualify for the long jump final to be held on Friday (8.05 pm IST).

For many who have followed Anju's career over the years, their heartbeats registered a faster pace. But when the judges raised the all-clear white flag it came back to normal. She's had a history of invalid first jumps and in recent times it has only worsened. To clear the first jump and qualify too was killing two birds with one stone.

"That was the target," she said. "I wanted to qualify with the first jump itself. It helps the confidence." A tense Bobby George, her husband and coach, in the stands next to the pit, relaxed and left the place with a smile.

Anju, in the same India vest with which she won the gold at the Busan Asian Games, appeared relaxed and calm after the jump. Four other jumpers - Russians Irina Simagina, Tatyana Lebedeva, Tatyana Kotova and Swede Caterina Kluft qualified with their first jumps. They were allowed to leave the arena even as the remaining 34 were attempting to cross the modest qualification mark of 6.65 metres.

Source: No 13 proved lucky for Anju - The Times of India