The rebellious Dutee Chand has won gold medal at the 100m event of the 5th Indian Grand Prix on Friday. The sprinter from Odisha stood at the top of the podium after clocking 11.42 seconds.
Day 1 of the 5th Indian Grand Prix in Patiala turned out to be a successful start for Indian sprinters as Dutee applied her brilliance on the tracks. The competition comprises with 16 events for men and women. Dutee Chand is the star attraction in Indian Grand Prix. Speculations were around that most of India’s top 4x400m athletes and the relay teams will continue with their respective national camps in Jablonec nad Nisou in Czech Republic, according to the Athletics Federation of India (AFI). After their successful outings in Spala, Poland, where some of them won medals and bettered national records, the team has decided to extend the stay till the World Championships in September and might even miss the Inter-State Athletics meet in Lucknow later this month.
Key Takeaways:
- Dutee Chand won gold at the 5th Indian Grand Prix on Friday
- The Odisha sprinter clocked 11.42 seconds
- Dutee Chand is the star attraction in Indian Grand Prix
Javelin thrower Davinder Singh and women’s discus thrower Navjeet Kaur Dhillon are among the prominent names in action in Patiala.
Recent achievements
In July this year, Dutee won the gold medal in the women’s 100-metre sprint at the 30th Summer University Games in Naples, Italy. She clocked a time of 11.32 seconds, winning India’s first gold medal at this edition of the meet.
With this gold medal in her kitty, she also became the first Indian — man or woman to win a 100-metre gold at this global event. No Indian had qualified for the 100-metre final in the history of the University Games before this.
She has now become the only second Indian sprinter to win gold in a global event after Hima Das, who clinched the top spot in 400m in the World Junior Athletics Championships last year.
India’s fastest woman Dutee also bettered her own national record in the women’s 100m heats of the 23rd Asian Athletics Championships in Doha in 2019. Dutee was the fastest qualifier as she clocked 11.28s in the heats, breaking her own National record of 11.29s set in Guwahati last year. She is a two-time Asian champion and the holder of the 100-metre national record.
India’s fastest woman Dutee also bettered her own national record in the women’s 100m heats of the 23rd Asian Athletics Championships in Doha in 2019. Dutee was the fastest qualifier as she clocked 11.28s in the heats, breaking her own National record of 11.29s set in Guwahati last year. She is a two-time Asian champion and the holder of the 100-metre national record.
READ: Dutee Chand Faces Backlash From Family Over Same Sex Relationship
Personal relationship
This Odisha-born athlete made headlines as she admitted that she is in a same-sex relationship with a younger relative.
“This is my personal matter. I am sure everything will be fine in a month or two. On the international level, there are several athletes (who are in a same-sex relationship). To live, everybody needs a partner who understands your heart. We like each other so we decided to live together. She gives me motivation for my sport. My focus on sports will be intact,” she had said.
“Problem will come and go in future, nobody can take guarantee of that. But I think there won’t be any problem. If it won’t happen, I’ll be able to focus more on my training. My focus is on Olympics 2020 (to be held in Tokyo). I am training to qualify and participate in the Olympics,” she added.
She is currently aiming to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics, slated to be held in 2020. Dutee's season best timing is 11.26 seconds wherein her national record stands at 11.24 seconds. No Indian athlete has ever achieved 11.15s at 100m. Can Dutee secure an Olympic berth and qualify for Tokyo 2020?
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