Pilavullakandi Thekkeparambil Usha

(Born June 27, 1964), popularly known as P. T. Usha, is an Indian athlete from the state of Kerala. P. T. Usha has been associated with Indian athletics since 1979. She is regarded as one of the greatest athletes India has ever produced and is often called the "queen of Indian track and field". She is nicknamed Payyoli Express. Currently she runs the Usha School of Athletics at Koyilandy in Kerala. P. T. Usha was born in the village of Payyoli, Kozhikode District, Kerala. In 1976 the Kerala State Government started a Sports School for women, and Usha was chosen to represent her district. Career In 1979 P. T. Usha participated in the National School Games, where she was noticed by O. M. Nambiar, who coached her throughout her career. Her debut in the 1980 Moscow Olympics proved lackluster. In the 1982 New Delhi Asiad, she got silver medal in the 100 m and the 200 m, but at the Asian Track and Field Championship in Kuwait a year later, Usha took gold in the 400 m with a new Asian record. Between 1983- 89, Usha garnered 13 golds at ATF meets. She finished first in the semi-finals of the 400 metres hurdles in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, but faltered in the finals. In almost a repeat of Milkha Singh's 1960 feat, there was a nail-biting photo finish for the third place. Usha lost the bronze by 1/100th of a second. She became the first Indian woman (and the fifth Indian) to reach the final of an Olympic event by winning her 400 m hurdles Semi-final. In the 10th Asian Games held at Seoul in 1986, P. T. Usha won 4 gold and 1 silver medal in the track and field events. Here she created new Asian Games records in all the events she participated. She won five golds at the 6th Asian Track and Field Championship at Jakarta in 1985. Her six medals at the same meet is a record for a single athlete in a single international meet. Usha has won 101 international medals so far. She is employed as an officer in the Southern Railways. In 1985, she was conferred the Padma Shri and the Arjuna award. Achievements National Record at State athletic meet at Kottayam, 1977. She captured the limelight as a junior athlete in National Inter State meet at Kollam, 1978. Selected to National Squad for the 18th Pakistan National Games in Karachi, 1980.

Selected to the Moscow Olympics, 1980. First Keralite and first Indian woman to reach the final of an Olympic event. Youngest Indian sprinter to compete in the quadrennial sporting extravaganza in Moscow Olympics. She was past 16 then. Participated in 1982 Delhi Asiad and won the first medal of the games. In 1983 Asian Track and Field Meet (re-christened as the Asian championship) at Kuwait, Usha tried out the 400m for the first time. She emerged successful in the one- lapper at an international arena for the first time. Her effort of 55.54 seconds in LosAngeles was a record since this was the first time, 400 m hurdles was conducted in the women's section. Usha gathered 5 gold medals and one bronze in 1985, at the Jakarta Asian Athletic meet. Won four golds in 1986, Seoul Asian games, claiming for herself the title of Asia's sprint queen. Following her marriage in 1991, she quit the scene for a while, but came back in 1993, after 3 years of hibernation. Participated in Olympic Games from 1980, except on 1992, Barcelona Olympics. She last participated in Atlanta Olympics, 1996. World record During the 1985 Asian Track and Field Meet at Jakarta, Indonesia, Usha secured 5 gold medals in the 100, 200, and 400 meter sprints, the 400 m hurdles, and the 4 x 400 m relay. She also earned a bronze medal in the 4 x 100 m relay. This is the current record for most gold medals earned by a female in a single track meet. Awards and honors Recipient of Arjuna Award, 1984. Greatest women athlete in 1985 Jakarta Asian Athletic Meet. Padma Sree in 1984. Best Athlete in Asia Award in 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987 and 1989. 1986 Seoul Asian Games, won the Adidas Golden Shoe Award for the best athlete Thirty International Awards, for her excellence in Athletics. Kerala Sports Journalists Award for the year 1999. World Trophy for best Athlete 1985, 1986 Medal record Women's athletics Asian Games Silver 1982 New Delhi 100 metres Silver 1982 New Delhi 200 metres Gold 1986 Seoul 200 metres Gold 1986 Seoul 400 metres

Gold 1986 Seoul 400 metres hurdles Gold 1986 Seoul 4x400 metres relay Silver 1986 Seoul 100 metres Silver 1990 Beijing 400 metres Silver 1990 Beijing 4x100 metres relay Born Pilavullakandi Thekkeparambil Usha 27 June 1964 (age 47) Payyoli, Kozhikode, Kerala, India Other names Payyoli Express, Golden Girl Occupation Athlete Employer Indian Railways Known for Padma Shri Spouse V. Srinivasan Children Ujjwal Parents Paithal, Lakshmi P. T. Usha P.T. Usha was upset by the sub-standard accommodation given to her at the 49th National Open Athletics Meet. The officials of the Madhya Pradesh Athletics Federation met Usha after the uproar to appease her and the state government asked its Sports Director to probe the incident. The initials P.T stands for Payyoli Tevaraparampil, her family names according to the traditional naming system. She was born to Paithal and Lakshmi in 1964 in the Kerala village of Meladi-Payyoli near Calicut, afflicted by ill health and poverty. In 1976 the Kerala State Government started a Sports School for women, and Usha was chosen to represent her district.Intially she was awarded with Rs.250 per month by the state government. Her association with O.M. Nambiar, an athletics coach, helped her to scale new heights in athletics. Usha made her international performance at the Moscow Olympics in 1980 but she excels into the limelight in the 1982 Asian Games in New Delhi, winning the silver in the 100 m and 200 m event. At the Asian Meet in Jakarta in 1985 Usha proved herself as the Asian sprint queen with five gold medals in the 100m, 200m, 400m, 400m hurdles and the 4x400m relay as well a bronze in the 100m relay. In the 10th Asian Games held at Seoul in 1986, P. T. Usha won 4 gold and 1 silver medals in the track and field events. By 1986, the Los Angeles Olympics, she had improved massively; she won the 400 m heats, and missed getting India's first track-and-field bronze medal in the 400m finals by 1/100 sec, in a dramatic photo finish. She had set an Asian best, 55.42 seconds, for the event which still stands today.

In the next few years age started taking a charge on Usha and in 1990 she decided to retire after managing only silver at the Asian Games in Beijing. In 1991, she married V. Srinivasan, and their son Ujjwal was born the following year. She again returned at the Hiroshima Asiad at the age of 33 and won silver in the 400m relay. Her last international appearance was at the Asian Meet in Fukuoka, Japan in 1998. She managed to shock some of the younger participants by winning gold in the 4x100m relay, silver in the 400m relay and a bronze each in the 200m and 400m. P.T. Usha was named sportsperson of the century by the Indian Olympic Association, and she is the Indian still with most international track and field medals. She was awarded the Arjuna Award in 1983 and the Padma Shree in 1985. Usha has won 101 international medals so far. She is employed as an officer in the Southern Railways.