GUWAHATI: National record holder Dutee Chand became the first Indian woman track and field athlete to clinch a gold medal in the World Universiade after she won the 100m dash event in Napoli.
The 23-year-old Dutee clocked 11.32 seconds to win the gold as she led the race from start to finish.
Dutee was the first one out of the eight athletes to blast off the starting blocks and she made most of it to fend off a late challenge from Del Ponte (11.33) of Switzerland.
The Odisha runner, whose national record stands at 11.24 seconds, became the first Indian to win a 100m gold in a global event.
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She has now become only the second Indian sprinter to win a gold in a global event after Hima Das, who clinched the top spot in 400m in the World Junior Athletics Championships last year.
Dutee, who had a silver each in 100m and 200m in the 2018 Asian Games, is also only the second Indian track and field athlete to win a gold in the World Universiade. Inderjeet Singh had clinched the top spot in men’s shot put event in the 2015 edition.
After winning the race, Dutee, who recently admitted to having a relationship with a girl, tweeted: “Pull me down, I will come back stronger!”
Earlier on Tuesday, Dutee qualified for the final with a time of 11.41 seconds in the semifinal, which had made her the first Indian sprinter to make it to the final of World Universiade.
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On Monday, she had advanced to the semifinals from the heats with a time of 11.58 seconds.
President Ram Nath Kovind congratulated Dutee on her feat.
“Congratulations @DuteeChand for winning the 100m sprint at the Universiade, the World University Games, in Naples. This is India’s first such gold and a moment of immense pride for our country. Please keep up the effort, and look to greater glory at the Olympics,” the President tweeted.
(Inputs: PTI)
