The 35-year-old Mehrotra came out on top in a very strong field, and after surviving a shootout that was ordered on a technicality, besides a two-second penalty for knocking down a cone. Eventually, he pipped Kyrgyzstan\u2019s Vedenev Alexey by two-tenths of a second in a tense finish.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cI had done a 1:10 for the circuit in the previous outing, but improved to 1:05 in the shootout. However, I knocked a cone down in the process, and I knew I would receive a two-second penalty. I didn\u2019t ease off and focused on maintaining my pace and flow. Eventually, it helped me beat Vedenev by a narrow margin. Absolutely thrilled to win a gold medal,\u201d said Mehrotra, whose compatriot Prateek Dalal from Bahadurgarh (Haryana) finished 13th.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
In the women\u2019s section, 21-year-old Tarushi Vikram maintained her composure despite early struggles to finish second for her maiden medal in international competition. \u201cThis is my first international Gymkhana event. I just took some time to get used to the track conditions and the car, since it's a stock automatic Hyundai i10. This Silver medal means everything to me, and holding the Indian flag on the podium made me feel proud,\u201d said Tarushi.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The APMC segment of the Gymkhana event will be held on Sunday, with Mehrotra and Tarushi Vikram in the running for medals.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Karting Sprint: Indians fared well in the Karting Sprint event with consistent performances in all three classes \u2013 Cadet, Junior, and Senior \u2013 going into Sunday\u2019s Pre-Final and Finals. Mumbai\u2019s Kiaan Shah was impressive in winning Heat 1, while the three Indian entries in Cadet class,12-year-old Rehan Khan Rasheed (Chennai), eight-year-old Arshi Gupta (Faridabad), and B Rayan Gouda (Bengaluru), also 12 years, with top-10 finishes in all the sessions.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
In the Senior class, Aarav Dewan (Gurugram), Thomas Jacob George (Kottayam), and Akshat Misra (Bengaluru) delivered impressive performances to promise a strong finish on Sunday.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cIt is heartening to see our youngsters faring well in the karting sprint with top-10 finishes. It bodes well for India\u2019s medal tally tomorrow,\u201d said Prabha Shankar, Karting Team Manager.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
In the Senior class, Aarav Dewan (Gurugram), Thomas Jacob George (Kottayam), and Akshat Misra (Bengaluru) delivered impressive performances to promise a strong finish on Sunday.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
E-Sports: India\u2019s lone entrant in the Assetto Corsa category, Sahil Khanna from Gurugram, put up a good fight but failed to make it to the final round.<\/p>\r\n\r\n