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What's the story?
It's not often that an Indian sprinter lines up in a global event as the one to beat, but it seems 18-year-old Hima Das has broken that myth. Today, when she will be entering the track and field stadium in Finland (Tampere) to compete in the final of women's 400m race at the IAAF World U-20 Athletics Championships, she will be the overwhelming favourite to win the race .
In case you didn't know...
Hima Das was one of the favourites to win the event in all pre-event predictions and she has rightly justified her billing by being the fastest athlete in both the heats and the semi-finals, clocking 52.25 seconds and 52.10 seconds respectively. Her personal best is 51.13 seconds which is better than everybody else by almost half a second.
Main Competitors...
The main competitors for Hima on paper, who can stop her from creating history and etch her name in the record books are Andrea Miklos (Romania), Stacey-Ann Williams (Jamaica), and Ella Connolly (Australia).
History in the Making...
India has never won a medal, leave aside a gold medal in any track event at a major global event like Olympics or World Championships at a senior level, or for that matter, even at the junior level. So, if she manages to win a medal, it will be history in itself. However,considering that she is the overwhelming favourite, all eyes will be on her to deliver the much-awaited gold medal, which the whole country dreams and desires about.
Two years ago, Neeraj Chopra delighted Indian fans at the same tournament, when he emerged as the U-20 world champion in men's javelin throw. Das will try to emulate his feat tonight.
In My Opinion...
This is a golden opportunity for Hima Das to not only make history by winning India's first ever track medal at a global event, but to do it style by winning a gold medal and to start the golden page of Indian Athletics. I have full confidence in her ability and considering her talent, any medal other than gold will be a disappointing result.
