PT Usha: The 'Golden Girl' of Indian athletics - medals and records
PT Usha, who missed an Olympic medal by a whisker, is one of the most decorated athletes in Indian history. The Kerala sprinter was coached by the famous OM Nambiar.
Athletics
With a cabinet full of international medals and accolades, PT Usha is a bonafide Indian track and field legend.
Born Pilavullakandi Thekkeraparambil Usha in Kerala’s Kozhikode, the former sprinter who was trained by the legendary athletics coach OM Nambiar from a very early age, is also known as the ‘Golden Girl’ of Indian athletics.
The greatest of sportspersons are usually remembered for the medals they won in their careers. Interestingly, PT Usha is best remembered for a medal that she didn’t win! At the Los Angeles 1984 Olympics, Usha clocked 55.42s in the women’s 400m hurdles to finish fourth, missing out on the bronze medal by just 1/100th of a second.
Though the Olympic medal eluded her, the ace sprinter, known as the Payyoli Express during her heydays, dominated the Asian track and field events for well over a decade.
PT Usha won her first international medal during the 1982 Asian Games in New Delhi where she clinched silver medals in the 100m and 200m events.
Since then, PT Usha went on to win 11 medals at the Asian Games - four gold and seven silver. The 1986 Seoul Asian Games, where she won four gold medals and one silver, was PT Usha’s most successful outing at the continental meet.
PT Usha also boasts of a record haul at the Asian Athletics Championships, accounting for a whopping 23 medals - 14 gold, six silver and three bronze. She won five gold medals and one bronze alone at the 1985 Asian athletics in Jakarta, Indonesia.
The Indian sprint legend’s last major international medal before retirement came in the 1998 Asian Championships in Japan where she won four medals, including a gold in the 4x100m relay.
Even after her retirement, the ace sprinter has been closely associated with Indian athletics over the years. The 58-year-old Usha became the president of the Indian Olympic Association in 2022.
PT Usha’s medals: International events
Besides a rich medal haul, PT Usha also held a slew of records.
Usha held the Asian and national records in the women’s 100m, 200m, 400m and 400m hurdles sprint events.
Though most have already been bettered over the years, PT Usha’s personal best of 55.42s, clocked at the LA 1984 Olympics, still stands as India’s national record in women’s 400m hurdles. It was equalled by Vithya Ramraj at Asian Games 2023 39 years later.
PT Usha's other career highlights
- Jointly holds the national record in women’s 400m hurdles (55.42s)
- She was the youngest Indian sprinter, at 16, to compete at the Olympics (Moscow 1980)
- Usha was the first Indian woman to qualify for the final of an athletics meet at the Olympics (LA 1984, women’s 400m hurdles)