Image Source : GETTY IMAGES Dutee Chand
Double Asian Games silver medallist sprinter Dutee Chand suffered a minor jolt in her quest to shine abilities to qualify for the 2021 Olympic Games as an indoor observe occasion in Almaty, Kazakhstan, was cancelled on the eleventh hour this month.
The nationwide report holder in 100m sprinter was aiming for a sturdy 2021 season with a 60m indoor competitors on January 29, however a last-minute cancellation as a result of Covid pandemic made her reschedule her coaching for home competitions beginning February 18 in Patiala. The 60m sprint is just not an Olympic occasion.
“I couldn’t compete in other indoor meets in Europe due to seven days quarantine guideline for athletes from India. Since I don’t face tough competition on the home soil, races in Europe would have given a good start to the season,” the 25 yr outdated athlete advised IANS.
Dutee had clinched bronze within the 60m sprint with a time of seven.22 seconds on the 2016 Asian Indoor occasion. The similar yr she additionally reached the semi-finals of the World Indoor Championships.
The Indian out of doors season begins with Indian Grand Prix from February 18 in Patiala. “It will be a sort of warm up event ahead of the Federation Cup in March,” identified Dutee, who’s sponsored by the Odisha authorities.
Dutee’s private finest and nationwide report in 100m sprint is 11.22 seconds clocked in 2019 in Ranchi. The 2021 Tokyo Olympic qualification time is 11.15 secs, and it implies that she should enhance rapidly for the July 23-August 8 Games.
“On paper, it looks easy but it’s hard to improve fraction of seconds. After March, I will see if the situation gets better in Europe and then I will try to figure out whether I would be able to compete there or not. Tough competition is the only way forward,” she stated.
As per the World Athletics qualification guidelines, the highest 50 ranked athletes would get berths within the Olympics in case they don’t seem to be in a position to meet the qualification time. “High quality competition in Europe will not only enable me to inch closer to qualification time, but will improve her global rankings,” she stated.