PT Usha is an Indian former track and field athlete, who has represented India from 1979 to 1999. She is one of the fastest and most successful female sprinters of this country, who has been known as the ‘queen of Indian track and field’ for her immaculate speed on the track.

PT Usha was specialized in all medium-distance sprinting events from 100m to 4×400 m including 400m hurdles events. She started taking running as her career since her school days and has represented her school in several national-level championships. She began her international career in 1979 through the National Games and Olympics debut in 1980 at the age of 16 only.

She couldn’t make her mark with her first attempt at the Olympics and had to wait for 4 more years for her dream of winning a medal at the Olympics. P. T. Usha bagged a few medals during this period from Asian Games, World Championship, and Asian Championship.

She finally made a head-turning achievement at the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984 and at the Commonwealth Games in the same following year. PT Usha has won almost 101 international medals in her two-decade-long career and made India proud for several times in various track & field athletic categories. Currently, she coaches the emerging athletes of her state in the Kerala National Training Academy and works as an officer in the Southern Railways.

(as Compiled by Madhushree Das Ghosh)

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