In the lead up to Rio Olympics, which begin on 5 August, 2016, we will be recounting some of the greatest moments in the history of the games, celebrating legends, revisiting controversies, iconic moments and inspiring stories from yesteryear. We will be profiling Indian medal winners and of course, look forward to the biggest sporting event of the year.
50 days, 50 videos, 50 memorable stories!
48 days to go: PT Usha and the agonising 1/100th of a second
Jumping hurdles in life is what most Indian athletes have to do to earn any sort of recognition in India. But, for PT Usha, jumping hurdles meant more than just overcoming struggles in life. It was what she did. It was what made her great. It was what put her within agonising distance of India’s first ever medal in athletics at the Olympic Games.
In the 1984, Los Angeles Games, Usha ran the race of her life in the 400m hurdles but missed out on bronze after a photo finish. Like Milkha Singh, the greatest moment of her career was in defeat. A defeat that showed the world how good “The Payyoli Express” was.
In an interview to the Hindu a few years back, PT Usha said:
If life could come back, if I could roll back the years, I would like to relive my most cherished moment, the Los Angeles Olympics. I would like to compete with the same fellow runners, but this time finishing at the podium.
Here’s our video tribute to, arguably, the greatest female athlete India has ever produced.
