{{Short description|Indian javelin thrower (born 1992)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2025}} {{Use Indian English|date=December 2025}}
{{Infobox sportsperson | name = Annu Rani | image = India's Anu Rani, Javelin Throw Bronze Medalist.jpg | imagesize = 200px | caption = Rani at the 2017 Asian Championships | sport = Athletics | event = Javelin throw | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1992|08|28}} | birth_place = Bahadarpur, Uttar Pradesh, India | height = 1.65 m | coach = Sergey Makarov<br>Kashinath Naik | pb = 63.82 m {{AthAbbr|NR|Indian}} (2022) | medaltemplates = {{MedalSport|Women's athletics}}30px {{MedalCountry|{{IND}}}} {{MedalCompetition|Commonwealth Games}} {{MedalBronze|2022 Birmingham|Javelin throw}} {{MedalCompetition|Asian Games}} {{MedalGold|2022 Hangzhou|Javelin throw}} {{MedalBronze|2014 Incheon|Javelin throw}} {{MedalCompetition|Asian Championships}} {{MedalSilver|2019 Doha|Javelin throw}} {{MedalBronze|2017 Bhubaneswar|Javelin throw}} {{MedalCompetition|South Asian Games}} {{MedalSilver|2016 Guwahati|Javelin throw}} }}
'''Annu Rani''' (born 28 August 1992) is an Indian javelin thrower. She is a two-time Olympian and an Asian Games gold medallist, and regarded as the flag bearer for India in women's javelin throw.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Olympics Profile: Annu RANI |url=https://www.olympics.com/en/athletes/kishmala-talat |website=Olympics}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Asian Games 2023: India's Annu Rani Clinches Gold Medal In Women's Javelin With 62.92m Throw; Watch |url=https://www.freepressjournal.in/sports/asian-games-2023-indias-annu-rani-clinches-gold-medal-in-womens-javelin-with-6292m-throw |access-date=2025-07-24 |website=Free Press Journal |language=en}}</ref> She became the first Indian woman to reach the javelin throw final at the World Championships in 2019.<ref>{{Cite web|date=September 30, 2019|title=Annu Rani qualifies for javelin throw finals with national record effort|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/sports/athletics/story/iaaf-world-championships-annu-rani-national-javelin-record-final-spot-1604911-2019-09-30|access-date=2021-07-27|website=India Today|language=en}}</ref> At the 2022 Commonwealth Games, she won the bronze medal, becoming the first Indian woman to medal in javelin throw at the event.<ref>{{Cite web|title=CWG 2022: Annu Rani wins bronze, becomes first Indian female javelin thrower to win medal.|url=https://www.thehindu.com/sport/athletics/cwg-2022-annu-rani-wins-bronze-becomes-first-indian-female-javelin-thrower-to-win-medal/article65741298.ece|date=2022-08-07|website=The_Hindu|language=en}}</ref>
== Early and personal life== Annu Rani was born on 28 August 1992 Bahadarpur, Uttar Pradesh in a family of farmers.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |date=2023-10-09 |title=Asian Games 'Golden Queen' Annu Rani's Javelin Was Aimed at 'Freedom for Women' in Her UP Village |url=https://www.news18.com/sports/asian-games-golden-queen-annu-ranis-javelin-throw-was-aimed-at-freedom-for-women-in-her-up-village-8609058.html |access-date=2023-10-09 |website=News18 |language=en}}</ref> Her athletic potential was first identified by her brother, Upendra, who observed her upper-body strength while she was playing cricket. He introduced her to javelin throwing and initially trained her by having her throw sugarcane sticks in open fields. Due to financial constraints, Annu initially used a self-made javelin fashioned from a bamboo stick.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-08-07 |title=After throwing sugarcanes, bamboo sticks, Annu Rani now hurls javelin for CWG bronze |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/commonwealth-games/annu-rani-wins-bronze-becomes-first-indian-female-javelin-thrower-to-win-medal-in-cwg-8076454/ |access-date=2022-08-10 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}</ref>
She began competing in the javelin throw competitions in 2010 at the age of 18. Her training was initially supported by her brother, despite resistance from her family regarding her participation in sports. After she broke the national record in 2014, her family began supporting her athletic career.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.impactguru.com/fundraiser/annu-rani |title=Annu Rani's Quest For Gold – Impact Guru |website=impactguru.com |language=en-GB |access-date=27 July 2019}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=Nikhil|date=27 June 2017|title=Annu Rani – The Torchbearer for Indian Women in Athletics Javelin Throw|url=https://www.kreedon.com/annu-rani-torchbearer-indian-women-athletics/|access-date=27 July 2019|website=Voice of Indian Sports |language=en-GB}}</ref>
Annu Rani married national kickboxing champion Sahil Bhardwaj on November 18, 2025.
== Career == In the 2014 National Inter-State Athletics Championship in Lucknow, Rani won the gold medal with a throw of 58.83 m, breaking a 14-year-old national record and qualifying her for the 2014 Commonwealth Games where she finished eighth. Later in the year, she won the bronze medal at the Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea, with a throw of 59.53 m. Two years later she broke her own record again at the National Inter-state Athletics Championship with a throw of 60.01 m.<ref>{{Cite web|date=27 June 2017|title=Annu Rani – The Torchbearer for Indian Women in Athletics Javelin Throw|url=https://www.kreedon.com/annu-rani-torchbearer-indian-women-athletics/|access-date=19 February 2021|website=Voice of Indian Sports – KreedOn|language=en-GB}}</ref> In March 2019, she broke her own record again with a throw of 62.34 m at the National Senior Athletics Championships in Patiala.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last1= |first1= |title=Fed Cup athletics: Annu Rani rewrites her own Javelin Throw national record, qualifies for Worlds |url=https://scroll.in/field/916965/fed-cup-athletics-annu-rani-rewrites-her-own-javelin-throw-national-record-qualifies-for-worlds |access-date=27 July 2019 |website=Scroll.in |language=en-US |agency=Press Trust of India}}</ref>
Rani won the silver medal at the 23rd Asian Athletics Championships in Qatar on 21 April 2019, which helped her qualify for the World Athletics Championships, becoming the first Indian woman javelin thrower to participate in World Athletics Championships.<ref name="Sportstar Award - The Hindu" /> She won the bronze medal at the IAAF World Challenge event Golden Spike Ostrava in Ostrava, Czech Republic.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://sportstar.thehindu.com/athletics/javelin-throw-bronze-medal-for-annu-rani-at-iaaf-world-challenge-event-tokyo-olympics-2020/article28089255.ece|title=Javelin: Bronze for Annu Rani at IAAF event|website=Sportstar|date=20 June 2019 |language=en|access-date=27 July 2019}}</ref>
She won the Sportstar Aces Sportswoman of the Year Award in Athletics in 2020.<ref name="Sportstar Award - The Hindu">{{cite web |last1=Rayan |first1=Stan |title=Annu Rani wins Sportstar Aces 2020 Sportswoman of the Year in athletics |url=https://sportstar.thehindu.com/aces-awards/annu-rani-wins-sportstar-aces-2020-awards-sportswoman-of-the-year-in-athletics-track-and-field/article30555926.ece |website=The Hindu |date=13 January 2020 |access-date=18 February 2021 |language=en}}</ref> She won the gold medal in the women's javelin throw event at the 59th National Open Athletics Championships.<ref>{{Cite web|date=October 10, 2019|title=National Open Athletics Championship: Annu Rani wins gold, Neeraj Chopra pulls out|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/sports/athletics/story/national-open-athletics-championship-annu-rani-wins-gold-javelin-throw-neeraj-chopra-pulls-out-1608081-2019-10-10|access-date=2021-07-27|website=India Today|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Srivastava |first=Shantanu |date=13 May 2020 |title=Annu Rani confident of breaching Olympic qualification mark, calls for resumption of outdoor training |url=https://www.firstpost.com/sports/annu-rani-confident-of-breaching-olympic-qualification-mark-calls-for-resumption-of-outdoor-training-8359091.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200514005543/https://www.firstpost.com/sports/annu-rani-confident-of-breaching-olympic-qualification-mark-calls-for-resumption-of-outdoor-training-8359091.html |archive-date=14 May 2020 |access-date=18 February 2021 |website=Firstpost}}</ref>
== References == {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{World Athletics}} * {{Olympedia}} * {{Olympics.com|annu-rani}} * [https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024/athlete/annu-rani_1544485 Annu Rani] at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics * {{2022 Commonwealth Games profile|29527}} * {{2014 Asian Games profile|5119255}}
{{Asian Games Champions Athletics Javelin Throw Women}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rani, Annu}} Category:1992 births Category:Living people Category:Indian women javelin throwers Category:Sportspeople from Meerut Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2020 Summer Olympics Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2024 Summer Olympics Category:Olympic athletes for India Category:Olympic women javelin throwers Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2014 Commonwealth Games Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2022 Commonwealth Games Category:Commonwealth Games bronze medallists for India Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2014 Asian Games Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2018 Asian Games Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2022 Asian Games Category:Asian Games gold medalists for India Category:Asian Games athletes for India Category:Asian Games bronze medalists for India Category:Medalists at the 2014 Asian Games Category:Medalists at the 2022 Asian Games Category:Asian Games gold medalists in athletics (track and field) Category:Asian Games bronze medalists in athletics (track and field) Category:Athletes from Uttar Pradesh Category:Sportswomen from Uttar Pradesh Category:South Asian Games silver medalists for India Category:South Asian Games medalists in athletics Category:Medallists at the 2022 Commonwealth Games Category:World Athletics Championships athletes for India Category:Recipients of the Arjuna Award Category:Asian Athletics Championships medalists Category:Commonwealth Games bronze medallists in athletics Category:21st-century Indian sportswomen