Chennai: Kerala high jumper, Bobby Aloysius stole the thunder, clinching a berth for the Athens Olympics with a B standard mark of 1.91 m on the first day of the three-day 44th inter-state national athletics championship here Sunday evening.

The 30-year-old Aloysius, was elated about her long time dream of achieving an Olympic berth, but said “technically it was not up to my expectations. I have been working for this (Olympic qualification) for the last two years and now I will be deciding on my training programme upto the Olympics. Most probably, I will train under Dennis Doyle of Birmingham.”

In a field of ten jumpers, Aloysius achieved a career-best of 1.91 m. that was also a national mark, bettering her own of 1.9 m, set at the Bangalore inter-state in 2002. Bengal had its fare share of successes, but it yielded no Olympic berth. In the men’s long jump Sanjai Rai won gold at 7.84 m, beating Ashok Kumar of Tamil Nadu (7.65) to second spot.

In the women’s 100 m Poonam Tomar of Delhi (11.68 seconds) beat Bengal’s Rakhee Saha (12.01) to silver, as was Chaitali Pal of Bengal in the women’s shot put, managing silver with her 13.49m throw behind Tamil Nadu’s N.Latha (15.93). Bengal other silver came in women’s javelin, where M. K. Prajisha of Kerala (50.78m) beat Manisha Mondal (48.65).

Delhi’s Piyush Kumar (10.44 seconds) and Poonam Tomar (11.68) became the fastest man and woman, winning the respective 100 m dash.