Running against the wind – Animesh Kujur counts learnings from Monaco

Under the bright lights of Stade Louis II, in a princely pocket of the Côte d’Azur where super-yachts outnumber bus stops, Animesh Kujur crouched on his lane and tried to forget that the last Indian sprinter to race here was, well... nobody.

The 22-year-old from Odisha wasn’t just lugging a pair of purple spikes or the shiny new 10.18-second national 100m record he set in Greece last month; he was hauling India’s entire sprinting future into a league best known for Noah Lyles’ swagger and Letsile Tebogo’s thunder.

Kujur finished fourth in the U23 Monaco Diamond League 200m. A 20.55s blur that was 0.13s slower than his lifetime best; and thanks to a -1.9 m/s headwind, it felt like running through molasses.

Ahead of him, Australian wunderkind Gout Gout unfurled those impossibly long legs and won.

Beside him, the national record holders of South Africa and Brazil treated it like a playground sprint.

Perspective is what Kujur carried back to the call-room.

"I expected more," Kujur admitted. "But I competed with big athletes like Gout Gout and others. National record holders of their countries. Running with fast athletes will only make you faster. Simple."

Simple, yes – but also surreal.

Because in the warm-up zone Kujur found himself quietly studying Lyles adjusting his chain, Tebogo bouncing to Afrobeats, Dina Asher-Smith wrapping hamstrings in black tape.

It was sprinting’s Ivy League and he was the visiting freshman taking notes.

"I saw Noah Lyles, I saw Letsile Tebogo. I watched how they warmed up, how they carried themselves, how they prepared," Kujur said. "It taught me so much about the professionalism and routines of world-class athletes. I’m going to implement those things into my own warm-ups and training."

For Kujur, who has been touring Europe for competitions since early June, Monaco was the most electric atmosphere yet.

"It was the first time I saw a crowd like that," he said. "The whole stadium was full. I was so energised. My adrenaline was so high, I just wanted to run and give it everything."

His coach, Martin Owens, who has guided him through a remarkable growth phase, put the performance in context. While the timing didn’t break records, conditions were far from ideal.

"It was a -1.9 headwind," Owens said. "We were hoping for a fast run. We’d gone to the stadium the previous night to orient ourselves and the wind had dropped, so we were optimistic. But race day brought tougher conditions."

Despite that, Owens stressed that the race provided valuable technical data.

"We’ve got all the 10m splits. The race was tight until about 130 meters and then Gout started to pull away. He’s an exceptional talent, very rangy and fast but Animesh held his own for most of the race."

A long road & a busy future

This European stint is just the latest chapter in Kujur’s rapid rise.

After a breakthrough 2024 season where he consistently dipped under 20.60s, he opened 2025 by sweeping both the 100m and 200m gold at the National Games in Dehradun.

Since then, he's barely had time to pause, racing in the UAE, at the Asian Championships in Korea, and in Taiwan before heading west.

"From April onwards, I’ve been racing non-stop – seniors, Asians, Taiwan, now Europe. Every 10 days I’m meeting new athletes," Kujur said.

"Each of them has something to teach. Even my roommate here in Monaco, from South Africa, shared insights that helped me," he added.

Kujur and Owens now head to Geneva for a World Athletics silver-level meet on July 15, followed by a training block in Bochum, Germany.

After that, Kujur will represent India at the World University Games, before returning for the World Continental Tour bronze event in Bhubaneswar and the Inter-State Nationals.

"We’ve analysed the race in Monaco, and we’ve got specific targets now," Owens said. "Fitness is one area. It’s been a long season and we’ve lost a bit of sharpness. So we’ll go back to basics in Germany, train through Lucerne, and peak again."

The major milestone ahead is a potential World Championships berth. The qualifying standard is 20.16s, and while Kujur hasn’t hit it yet, his team is hopeful.

"I don’t want to rely on rankings," said Kujur. "I want to qualify directly with a 20.16s. That’s my target for the next meets."

Owens echoed the same sentiment:

"He was in phenomenal shape during the National Games. With a better start, he could’ve gone below 20.16s then. It’s just a matter of timing, conditions, and belief."

Beyond records

There’s something refreshing about Kujur’s mindset. While he wants the times, the medals, and the breakthroughs, his eyes are always on the larger picture – becoming a better athlete.

"He's not doing it for glory," Owens said. "He wants to be the best version of himself. That’s what makes him special. He's driven, polite, and observant, and this European tour is opening his eyes to what it takes at the top level."

"I’ve seen how the best live, train, recover, even eat," Kujur said. "From roommates to rivals, from Noah Lyles to the Diamond League crowd, I’m going back home with a lot more than just race experience."

There is, of course, the whispered prophecy: the day an Indian dips under 10 seconds for 100 metres.

Owens chuckles at the inevitability of the headline circus.

"The Indian media will go mad the day someone breaks 10s. Maybe it’s Animesh, maybe it’s someone else. But trust the process. We’re getting there."