SEOUL: The incomparable PT Usha tucked another gold to the three she had already won when she anchored the Indian women’s 1600-metre relay squad to a brilliant finish at the Olympic Stadium here today. The Indian quartet of MD Valsamma, Vandana Rao, Shiny Abraham and Usha posted 3 min. 35.58 sec. to finish first among a pack of only four.
Jordan and Indonesia withdrew from the race, leaving China, Japan, Korea and India in the field. However, the Indian women’s 4 x 100-metre relay team, who was earlier favoured for the title, were beaten to the fourth place because of poor baton changes in the second and third legs. China dominated the relay events, which were carried over into the final day of the Games. They won two out of the four relays, thus overtaking Korea in the gold medal tally.
Though India, with Valsamma, Vandana Rao, Shiny Abraham and Usha, making up the squad, were the favourites, there was doubt because of Vandana’s injury. The 23-year-old Vandana was given only an outside chance last night to figure in the relay. She had pulled a muscle on Friday. However, Vandana who was fit enough, ran the second leg of the one-mile relay and it was her effort that swung this race decisively in India’s favour, after Valsamma ran the lead leg in one of the slowest races of her career.
Vandana opened at least a 10-meter gap to pass the baton to Shiny at the second leg. Shiny, keeping an excellent pace, overtook the leader, Japan, on the backstretch and from there, it was easy for India. She opened up lead of nearly two metres for Usha. And the athletics queen of India once again showed that there is no one in Asia to touch her in the 400 metres. With powerful strides, the 22-year-old Indian international who had won the 200 metres, 400 metres and the 400 metres hurdles here, drew applause from the stands as she pounded the track with her rhythmic strides. She touched the tape 10 metres ahead of the next best, Japan.
The Indian quarter returned a time of 3:34.58, in a new games record the previous mark being 3:37.44 sec. However, India, because of injury problem, could take on only the fourth place in the women’s 4×100 metres relay. Here also, India were the favourites, but Vandana Shanbag’s illness affected the Indian chances as the combination had to be changed because of Shanbag’s non-availability.
Sani Joseph, a stand-bye, ran in place of Shanbag and with poor baton changes at the first and second leg, India lost the chance of figuring even among medal contention. Valsamma, Shiny, Sani and Usha who ran in that order could clock only 45.64 sec. China won the race in a new Asian record of 44.78 sec. which was 0.29 sec better than the previous mark.
India could have managed a bronze in the men’s 1600metres relay, but for the poor lead leg run by Pavittar Singh. He was last among the eight competitors, though Ibrahim Cheenika and Ghulam Kibna made up a lot of ground before passing the baton to the anchorman lyyappan Durai. All they could do was to finish fourth.
Durai nearly caught up with Thailand’s Isidro Del Prado, who was running the final leg for his country. Though lyyappan was almost abreast with Prado, ten metres from the finish, India were beaten by mere centimetres. The Indian quartet was timed 3:09.43. Japan won the event in 3:02.33 in a new Games record. China showed that they were very good in relays by winning the second gold in the men’s quarter-mile relay. They clocked 39.17 sec, improving the Asians Games and the Asian record to claim the gold.
India were a poor seventh in 41.05 sec. Nisar Basha, Cannute, Sounder Ruben and Rami Reddy were seventh at all stages of the race. India thus finished the athletics competition with four golds, two silvers and two bronzes, a good show indeed compared to other disciplines.