Choking when it matters the most

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One has to wonder where world-class athletes get the energy to perform a season or career best at the Olympics as the big man Usain Bolt did by smashing his own record at Beijing with yet another superhuman 100 m final in London.

Perhaps it is the excitement of performing at the biggest arena that forces the best out of athletes like Bolt. As we consider the performance of Indian athletes at the Olympics, it appears that only a few of our stars have raced against the odds and given their best at an Olympic venue.

From Dalip Singh in the 1924 Paris Games to Tintu Luka in 2012, India has always made its presence felt, but only five Indian athletes have ever managed to show their personal best in an individual event at an Olympics.

They are K.M. Binu, Sriram Singh, P.T. Usha, Anju Bobby George and recently Irfan K.T., who set the national record in the 20 km race walk in London the other day.

Sriram Singh’s 1:45.77 in the men’s 800 m set in the Montreal Olympics in 1976 is still the national record and P.T. Usha’s historical fourth place finishing time of 55.42 in 400 m hurdles at Los Angeles, 1984 has been one of the best Olympic moments for India.

The other three national record performances (also the career best of the athletes) at an Olympics were registered since Sydney 2000. Again, there are a few others who made proud performances in the Olympic athletics such as K.M. Beenamol, Krishna Poonia and Vikas Gowda.

Quarter-miler Beenamol who had a personal best of 51.41 set in the Asian Athletics Championship in Jakarta, 2000 went to the Athens Olympics that year. She made history by setting the fastest time in all the heats with 51.51 sec and then clocked 51.81 sec to reach the semi-finals.

The latest big performance comes from Vikas Gowda, the national record holder in the discus throw. Though he has a season and career best of 66.28 m set this April in Oklahoma, Vikas finished first in group A in the qualification round with 65.20 m on Monday.

Vikas’s achievement gives us hope for that elusive first Olympic medal for India in athletics. Even otherwise, it is worth applauding the few who brought out their best performances when it mattered the most and rescued India’s pride.