Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav: It has been 75 years since India grew to become impartial. The nation is celebrating the nectar pageant of independence. In these 75 years, many athletes got here to India, made many achievements of their identify and wrote new data with their efficiency. Among all these athletes, the identify of PT Usha continues to be on the highest. Independent India has in all probability by no means seen a greater participant than him in observe and area. Usha continues to be on prime. Born on 27 June 1964 in Kerala, PT Usha’s charismatic efficiency on the age of 20 stays the benchmark for the most effective efficiency of any Indian sprinter until date.

1984 Olympics made PT Usha ‘‘flying angel’

PT Usha

He surprised the entire world together with his efficiency within the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. The Indian sprinter certified for the 400m hurdles race on the Olympic Trials in Delhi by defeating Asian champion MD Valsamma. In a pre-Olympic trial, she clocked 55.7 seconds to beat American prime athlete Judy Brown. He additionally set a brand new Commonwealth document within the semi-finals of the 1984 Olympics by clocking 55.54 seconds to succeed in the finals. She got here fourth within the closing with a time of 55.42s, simply 1/100s forward of the bronze medalist. The determination to overlook out on PT Usha’s bronze medal was made with the assistance of picture end approach. Her efficiency continues to be thought-about the most effective efficiency by an Indian feminine athlete on the Olympics. It was solely after this that she was referred to as the ‘flying fairy’ of India.

PT Usha made many data in Jakarta Asian Championship

PT Usha

A yr later, within the 1985 Jakarta Asian Championships, the Indian sprinter wrote many new data of victory and document. Here he gained six medals which included 5 gold and one bronze. PT Usha grew to become the winner of 100 meters race in 11.64 seconds and gained the 200 meters race in 23.05 seconds. She set a brand new Asian document by ending the 400m race in 52.62s and gained the 400m hurdles in 56.64s. Usha gained each these races in a span of 35 minutes. His fifth gold got here in 4x400m relay and bronze medal in 4x100m. The Indian athlete additionally holds the document for profitable probably the most gold medals in a single occasion within the historical past of the championship.

Many golden successes recorded in 1986 Asian Games

PT Usha

PT Usha’s efficiency on the 1986 Seoul Asian Games was largely a repeat of her efficiency on the Jakarta Championship. Although he needed to be content material with the silver medal within the 100m race with a time of 11.67 seconds, he continued to dominate the remainder of the race. He gained the gold within the 200m race with a timing of 23.44s, the gold within the 400m with a timing of 52.16s and one other gold within the 4x400m relay race with a timing of three:34.58. All these gold medals got here with new Games data.

He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1985 after this excellent efficiency. He gained 4 Asian Games gold medals and seven silver medals in his profession. In this hour of celebrating the nectar pageant of independence, the queen of Indian athletics is serving the nation as a Rajya Sabha member.