Once again, Indian athlete Dute Chand showcased her mettle on the track as she won the yellow metal at Khelo India University Games. Chand made a mark in a remarkable fashion as she lit the track on fire.
Her search for an Olympic berth began in fine fashion as she stormed to a sensational win in the 100m event. Running in lane 3, the sprinter clocked 11.49s to bag the gold medal and thus setting a new Inter-University record.
Talking post the race, Dutee added that she was glad to get the year off to a winning start.
“I am very happy because this is the first time I have begun the year so well. And I hope to shave off at least 0.10 seconds in my upcoming races,” she added.
Dutee Chand was the first one to get off the blocks as she steered her way past second-placed Dhanalakshmi S of Mangalore University, who clocked 11.99s. Representing host KIIT University here, Dutee ran 11.61s in the semifinal previously in the day.
She had set the track ablaze at the National Open in October last year, where she ran 11.22s to set a new national record. It should be noted that she is currently 0.07s away from making it to the Olympics with the qualification mark set at 11.15s.
Dutee Chand said she needed a bigger level of competition in a bid to push herself further. “As you saw, there wasn’t a lot of competition here. To achieve the Olympic cut-off I need to compete against faster athletes who will help me push me further,” she was quoted as saying by Sportstar.