When did PT Usha miss out on an Olympic medal?

India’s celebrated sprinter, the ‘Payyoli Express’, PT Usha on Saturday congratulated javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra on winning the first athletics medal for the country at the Olympics. Chopra, 23, became the only second Indian to win an individual gold at the multi-sport international event. The first one was retired shooter Abhinav Bindra.  

Also read: 100 years, 3 stories, 1 dream: Neeraj Chopra’s win is more than just a gold

Usha posted a picture of herself with Chopra and tweeted, “Realised my unfinished dream today after 37 years. Thank you my son @Neeraj_chopra1. (Flag of India, First place medal symbol) #Tokyo2020.”

PT Usha herself came close to winning a medal at Olympics in the 1984 Los Angeles Games. She missed the bronze medal in 400-metre hurdles by 1/100th of a second, making it the closest-ever miss for an Indian athlete in any competition. 

Also read: Neeraj Chopra’s gold and India’s rocky road to an Olympic medal in athletics

Usha blamed the disappointment to one of the competitors’ false start, which she said had “broken her rhythm” as “she got off the blocks a bit slower at the restart.”

Her Asian Games gold medals – 200m, 400m, 400m hurdles and 4X400m relay – at 1986 Seoul and 100m and 200m silver at the 1982 Asian Games in New Delhi did make for a glorious career. But it seems the 57-year-old was longing to see an Indian athlete win at the Olympics. PT Usha has been nurturing talent at the Usha School of Athletics in Balussery, Kerala. 

Also read: Watch: Haryana minister celebrates Neeraj Chopra’s Olympic gold with bhangra

Chopra, a farmer’s son from Khandra village near Panipat in Haryana, produced a second-round throw of 87.58m in the finals to stun the athletics world and end India’s 100-year wait for a track and field medal in the Olympics. Czech Republic throwers Jakub Vadlejch (86.67m) and Vitezslav Vesely (85.44m) took the silver and bronze respectively.