“Keep a very close eye on Hima Das in lane 4,” said the commentator as the pistol went off for the 400m event at the IAAF World U20 Championship in Finland.
The 18-year-old Indian athlete from Assam’s Nagaon district, started in a conservative fashion, and was fourth when she entered the final turn of the race.
She was trailing behind Australia’s Ella Connolly, Romania’s Andrea Miklos and USA’s Taylor Manson, when sprinted ahead of all three. She overtook all three opponents in the final 100m to come home a clear winner.
Finishing in 51.46s, Das became the first-ever Indian woman to win an athletics gold on the international stage.
In fact, her final timing was’t even her best. 51.13 is her fastest timed 400m run, a feat she accomplished only recently at the National Inter State Championships in Guwahati. It is now also the Indian U20 national record.
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