Chennai, June 09: Ace Indian long jumper Anju B George's campaign to win a medal in the 2004 Athens Olympics got a boost when she set a new personal mark of 6.65 metres to win the gold in the Jim-Bush Southern California championship held yesterday in Los Angeles in the US, where she is training under former olympian, Mike Powell. According to Bobby George, Anju's husband and coach, the 25-year-old Anju had two jumps of 6.65 metres in her third and fourth attempts. Earlier she cleared 6.43 m and 6.37 m in the first and second attempts which were better than the jumps of the silver and bronze medalists.

Akiba Mckineey (6.36 m) of the Higher Performance Club and Tatyana Obukova (6.31m) of University Sports Club won the silver and bronze medals respectively.

"I am really thrilled about the steady progress that I am showing. My first goal is to cross 6.70 metre mark before the World Cup. Once this happens I am confident of winning a medal in the World Cup," Anju, the Customs employed-Kerala athlete, said in an e-mail.

Bureau Report