Will Discus Thrower Kamalpreet Kaur Today Become First Indian To Win A Medal In Athletics event of Olympic Games?

New Delhi: Will Kamalpreet Kaur today becomes the first Indian to win a medal in the athletics event of the Olympic Games? This is a million-dollar question, as crores of Indians would be watching Kamalpreet on Television when the Discus Throw event will start at 4.30 pm on Monday evening.

To everyone’s surprise, Kamalpreet qualified for the Tokyo Olympics with a Throw of 65.06m. In Tokyo, she further surprised ‘athletic Pandits’ by reaching the Finals with her best Throw of 64m. Kamalpreet began with a 60.29m throw but improved to make it 63.97 in her second. The youngster showed tremendous composure as she registered her best throw of 64 meters in her final attempt. Kamalpreet Kaur's best throw of 64m was better than two-time Olympic champion Sandra Perkovic's best throw of 63.75m. Notably, Kamalpreet had set the new national record earlier this year with a best throw of 66.59m, which is the 6th best throw in the world in 2021.

 On March 19th, 2021, during the 24th National Federation Cup Senior Athletics Championships, the 22-year-old from Kabarwala village in Punjab’s Sri Muktsar Sahib district, threw 65.06m to qualify for the Tokyo Games. Her only legal throw went past the Olympic qualification mark of 63.05m, along with bettering the nine-year-old national record of 64.76m set by Krishna Poonia.

Profile of Kamalpreet Kaur

Event: Women’s Discus Throw

Date of Birth: March 04, 1996

Home location: Malout, Distt. – Sri Muktsar Sahib, Punjab

Training Base: SAI NSNIS Patiala / STC Badal, Punjab

Personal Coach: Ms. Rakhi Tyagi

Achievements:

5th Position, Asian Athletics Championships 2019

5th Position, Asian Athletics Championships 2017

Current National Record Holder (66.59m – 2021)

Key Govt. Interventions:

Providing personal coach in the National Coaching Camp

Financial assistance towards 02 International Competitions in the current Olympic Cycle.