Happy Birthday PT Usha: Here Are Few Interesting Facts About ‘Queen Of Indian Track & Field'

Popularly known as the ‘queen of Indian track and field', Pilavullakandi Thekkeparambil Usha or PT Usha, a retired Indian track and field athlete, is one of the country's most celebrated sportspersons. Usha, who was born on June 27, 1964, has won 101 international medals and currently coaches young athletes at her training academy in Kerala. However, the sports personality's rise to fame was not an easy one. Coming from humble backgrounds, PT Usha had to struggle a lot to achieve her current stardom. As PT Usha celebrates her 56th birthday, we take a look at a few interesting facts about her.

• Hailing from Payyoli in Kerala, she was nicknamed 'Payyoli Express' and 'queen of Indian track and field' for her brilliant performance on the track
• Usha was first noticed in 1976 by athletics coach, O. M. Nambiar, at a prize-distribution ceremony of some sporting event. He went on to say in an interview that what impressed him, at first sight, was her lean shape and fast walking style
• During the inter-state junior meet of 1978, PT Usha, who was barely 14 at that time, won four gold medals in - 100 m, 60m hurdles, high jump and 200m. She also won silver in long jump and bronze in 4x100m relay
• PT Usha won multiple medals at the 1979 National Games, setting national records

• At 16, she debuted at the 1980 Moscow Games of the Olympic but was unable to make a mark, finishing fifth
• In 1981, at the senior inter-state meet in Bangalore, Usha clocked 11.8 seconds in the 100 m and 24.6 seconds in the 200 m and set the national records in both
• At the 1982 New Delhi Asian Games, Usha won silver medals in 100 m and 200 m, clocking 11.95 s and 25.32 s

• In 1983, she broke the 200 m record once again at the Open National Championship at Jamshedpur by clocking 23.9s
• She also won gold in 400m at the Asian Championships in Kuwait City in 1983

• One of Usha's most remembered performances happened during the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games pre-trials where she beat American sprinter Judi Brown by clocking 55.7 s.
• She had earlier defeated Asian Champion M D Valsamma to qualify for the Games. Usha came fourth at the finals of the Games missing the bronze by 1/100th of a second.
• The athlete set a new Commonwealth record in the heats and semi-final by clocking 56.81s and 55.54s at the Games.
• Between 1983-1989, PT Usha had bagged 13 gold at ATF meets.
• In 1984, she was conferred India’s fourth highest civilian award Padma Shri and the Arjuna Award.

• The athlete holds the current world record for the most medals earned by a female athlete in a single track meet.
• Usha married V. Srinivasan, an inspector with Central Industrial Security Force in 1991 and they have a son together.
• Tintu Lukka, who qualified for the women’s semi-final 800m at the London 2012 Olympic, is her student.

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