After special show at U-20 Worlds, Rupal targets Asian Games medals

With a time difference of 12 hours or so, young athlete Rupal Chaudhary couldn't sleep for almost two days after arriving in Cali, Colombia, for the U20 World Athletics Championship earlier this month.

PREMIUM

At that time, she ate just dal as there was nothing else that suited her taste. The problem didn’t end here as she found no one, including coach and physio, to guide her even ahead of the start of India's first race, the mixed 4x400m relays as both were stuck due to the visa problem.

Also Read | Rupal Chaudhary becomes first Indian to win two medals at U20 Worlds

Running the final lap, Rupal didn't disappoint and covered the distance in 51:82 seconds to win India's first silver medal. The Meerut girl's personal best in the 400m event was 51:85 seconds, becoming the first Indian athlete to win two medals at the Worlds.

"I was scared and tense as there was no one to help or guide us, but I put my best foot forward because I wanted to win for my father (Omvir Singh). As I ran, I kept remembering my father's face, because only he was able to help me realise my dream of becoming an athlete. I kept pouring water on my head to stay awake at the start of the race,” Rupal said.

“Initially, my father did not want me to participate in athletics since the Kailash Prakash Stadium in Meerut was 18 kilometers away from my home in Shahpur Jainpur village. After sitting on a hunger strike for three days, he finally took me to the stadium. There was no turning back,” she said.

Rupal, 17, also said that being her first international exposure, she was under pressure too before leaving for Colombia. “Even while boarding my first international flight, many things were running through my mind and I was under tremendous pressure, but all those things vanished as soon as I saw my name flashing among the top three on the results board.”

Being a vegetarian, Rupal survived for a full one week on pulses, rice, and some fruits as there was no other food of her choice.

“I was so hungry that even I had food as soon as I landed back in India at 3.00 in the morning as I had told my father to bring food for me at the airport itself. Then I ate and left for my home in Meerut," she said.

Rupal, who ran seven races in six days, including three finals, has been in incredible form. In the 400m event, she finished third in 51.85 seconds behind Yemi Mary John of Great Britain and Damaris Mutunga of Kenya. She led the relay quartet that finished second behind the USA with an Asian junior record time of 3:17.76s. On the same day, she ran her individual 400m first-round heat before featuring in the semifinals and final on consecutive days.

“After our team won silver in the mixed relays, it became easy for me. The realization that I had run seven races only came after I finished the championship," said Rupal, who ran her personal best time twice in the championships, first in the semi-finals and then in the finals.

Rupal, however, said that if one of the athletes in the women’s 400m had not been injured, she could have won her third medal too. “One of our athletes could not run at full capacity due to an injury otherwise I could have won one more medal for the country,” said Rupal, who has now fixed her eyes on a podium finish at the next year’s Asian Games.

“For sure, I would be trying for the gold medal in the next U20 World Championships as age is still with me, but right now I’m focusing on a podium finish at the Asian Games. It’s good that the Games have been postponed for a year, and I have time to try hard for this,” said Rupal who had stunned pre-race favourite, Priya Mohan of Karnataka, to clinch the gold medal in the women’s 400m at the National U-20 Federation Cup Athletics Championships this year.

RUPAL AT WORLDS

Women’s 400m

Heats: 52:50 sec

Semifinals: 52:27 sec - personal best

Final: 51:85 sec - personal best

4x400m mixed relay

Heats: 52:19 sec

Final: 51:82 sec

4x400m women's relay

Heats: 51:29 sec

Final: 53:0 sec

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