Hima Das Skips Josef Seckar Memorial Athletic Meet, Vismaya Wins Gold!

Hima Das, the name is now familiar in every household of the country, but we have another Indian sprinter, VK Vismaya, who is slowly making a mark. She produced a personal best timing of 52.12s and won a gold medal in the women 400m run at the International Athletic Meeting – Josef Seckar Memorial (MJS) in Brno, Czech Republic on Wednesday. The 22-year-old Indian surpassed her compatriots Poovamma Machettira and Subha Venkatesan who finished second and third with timings of 53.47s and Subha 53.67s respectively.

Vismaya, who had earlier achieved a personal best of 52.48 at Nové Mesto nad Metují (CZE) last month, is proving to be an improved athlete this year, but is somehow getting overshadowed by Hima's back to back medal hauls. Hima, who recently won six gold medals in European races, missed out this event, and Vismaya took advantage of it. She is in Europe for some time now with the quartermilers competing in various sprints.

Key Takeaways:

• Hima Das skipped, and 22-year-old Indian sprinter, VK Vismaya won the gold medal in the women 400m run at the International Athletic Meeting – Josef Seckar Memorial (MJS) in Brno, Czech Republic. 
• She produced a personal best timing of 52.12s, sets her eyes on the Tokyo Olympics.
• She surpassed her compatriots Poovamma Machettira and Subha Venkatesan who finished second and third with timings of 53.47s and Subha 53.67s respectively

In July this year, Vismaya bettered her 400m personal best thrice within the last one month in meets in Poland and the Czech Republic. She claimed a timing of 52.58s in her maiden sub-53s in Goleniow on June 26.

Better timing

In July this year, Vismaya bettered her 400m personal best thrice within the last one month in meets in Poland and the Czech Republic. She claimed a timing of 52.58s in her maiden sub-53s in Goleniow on June 26. Then she clocked 52.54 and 52.48 in Kladno and Nove Mesto nad Metuji on July 13 and 20. Her best before these meets was the 53.27s in the Federation Cup in Patiala in March.

“Each meet she runs a PB (personal best)… also in the 200m,” Galina Bukharina, the national coach for the quartermile and the relays, had told Sportstar.

Vismaya is raising her standard with every run.

Coach is all praise

Bukharina is all praise for Vismaya as her impressive progress shines through. Bukharina believes the 22-year-old will soon cross another major milestone within a year. “I’m not surprised, she will go below 52s within a year, around the Tokyo Olympics time… that is our target too,” said the Russia-born American.

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When asked whether she feels the 4x400m relay team can do well in the Tokyo Olympics which, Vismaya said, “I will try.” Vismaya is prepping to better her timing in sub-52 and she aims to achieve it within the next few months.

When asked whether she feels the 4x400m relay team can do well in the Tokyo Olympics which, Vismaya said, “I will try.” Vismaya is prepping to better her timing in sub-52 and she aims to achieve it within the next few months.

Vismaya has improved a lot in last couple of years. In fact, a year and half ago, the young girl was spotted at the varsities National meet in Guntur with no single run in any of the Afi’s national championships to show. A low on confidence Vismaya kept her distance from the big stage, however, at the Guntur meet, where Vismaya had given the then Asian bronze medallist Jisna Mathew a scare in the 400m and had beaten her in the 200m, she upgraded her performance and attitude towards sport and life.

READ: Three Weeks. Five Golds. What Next For ‘Five’ Star Hima Das?

Perfect timing

Guntur performance was brilliant and young Vismaya saw the window to use her experience even further. With the then Asian champion Nirmala Sheoran missing for months and with many quartermilers skipping national camps, Vismaya was upgraded by Athletics Federation of India (AFI). Eight months later, she was running the Indian women’s 4x400m relay team, eyeing to win the gold at the Asian Games in Jakarta.

Vismaya now has secured her place in the relay team and will now be setting bigger targets.

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Feature Image Credit: Sportstar

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