LUCKNOW: Winning two gold medals in national championships in a row after being injured for one-and-a-half years has given young sprinter Rupal Chaudhary a huge boost in confidence. With her sights set on competing in the Asian Athletics Championship in May in South Africa and the World University Games in July in Berlin, Meerut’s Rupal ran the 400 meters in 52.55 seconds to take home gold at the National Federation Senior Athletics Championship in Kochi on Tuesday.
Her success wasn’t a one-time thing either; Rupal had already earned gold at the 6th Indian Open 400m event in Thiruvananthapuram earlier this March. “Starting over after a long injury and winning gold medals is really inspiring. I want to keep this momentum going into the Asian Championship and the World University Games,” Rupal said, proudly beating Asian Games medallist Vithya Ramraj in Thiruvananthapuram. She shared her strategy, saying, “I plan each race, knowing when to start strong and when to pick up the pace helps.”
With lots of competitions lined up this year, she also aims to perform well at the World Athletics Relays in Guangzhou and the Continental Tour. However, Rupal’s ultimate goal is to win a medal at the World Championship in September. “The qualifying time is tough (50 seconds), and I’m focusing on small steps to reach that goal,” she explained.
She believes she can hit that time but isn’t rushing because pushing too hard might slow her down later. Rupal felt confident about returning to the sport even while recovering from her injury. “I got hurt trying to dodge a cricket ball at the Meerut stadium, but I always kept faith that I would come back strong,” she said.
Training alongside male athletes at the national camp with coach Jason Dawson has also helped Rupal improve her running times. “Being among male runners has really made me better,” she noted. Rupal’s journey began at the 2022 World U-20 Athletics in Cali, Colombia, where she won a silver medal in the 400m relay and an individual bronze in the 400m. These wins changed her life. “Winning made me see my true potential. I was nervous initially, but I just focused on finishing on the podium for the relay,” she revealed.
Before her injury, Rupal had qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics, but she could not participate due to illness. That was a huge disappointment for her dream of winning an Olympic medal, especially after her success at the Under-20 Worlds in 2022.
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