How did Bhawna Jat perform at 2020 Tokyo Olympics? A look at the Indian athlete's performance at previous Olympic Games

Indian racewalker Bhawna Jat, hailing from Rajasthan, participated in the women's 20km race walk event at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (held in 2021). The 28-year-old finished 32nd in the race, clocking 1:37.38. Only 53 out of 58 walkers could finish the women's race walk event in Tokyo.

Antonella Palmisano of Italy clinched the gold medal while Colombo's Sandra Arenas finished second, clinching the silver medal. Meanwhile, China’s Hong Liu secured the bronze medal after Erica Sena of Brazil, who was third in the closing stages of the race, was handed a two-minute penalty.

Walking at the Sapporo Odori Park, Bhawna Jat started the race, chasing the leaders, and held 33rd place at both the 6km and 8km marks. Despite her efforts, she remained in the chasing group of the race. She ultimately finished the race in the 32nd position, eight minutes after the race winner. On the other hand, India's Priyanka Goswami finished 17th.

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A look at Bhawna Jat's racewalking career

Bhawna Jat clinched medals in zonal and national junior-level competitions between 2014 and 2015. Meanwhile, in 2016, she secured employment with the Indian Railways as a ticket collector in Howrah, West Bengal. Her breakthrough performance came at the National Open Championships in February 2020.

In this event, she shattered the national record with a time of 1:29:54. This performance helped her earn qualification for the 2020 Summer Olympics, which required a standard of 1:31:00.

Additionally, this accomplishment marked a significant improvement of over eight minutes from her previous personal best set in October 2019. It was also more than 23 minutes from her time at the 2019 National Open Championships.

The 28-year-old athlete has showcased her prowess in the Commonwealth Games as well, achieving her personal best in the 10,000-meter race walk, finishing eighth in the competition held in 2022.