Jaisha Orchatteri Puthiya Veetil, better known as OP Jaisha, broke the Indian national record on Sunday, August 30, when she crossed the finish line in two hours, 34 minutes and 43 seconds (2:34:43) to finish the 18th ahead of her team mate Sudha Singh at the Beijing National Stadium during the World Athletics Championships.
Jaisha is from Kerala and holds a former national record in the 3000 metres steeplechase. She has broken the 19-year-old national mark of Vally Satyabhama.
Sudha Singh finished the 19th at 2:35:35. These athletic performances were praiseworthy enough to take them to the next level at 2016 Rio Olympics. The race was won by Mare Dibaba who completed it withing 2:27:35. This victory made her the first Ethiopian woman to win a world championship marathon title according to a The Times Of India report.
She defeated Kenya’s Helah Kiprop by just a second, which made the latter win the silver medal while the bronze medal was awarded to Eunice Kirwa.