Sprinter Dutee Chand Creates History, Bags 100m Gold In Naples

Sprinter Dutee Chand won a gold medal in the 100 m sprint at the 30th Summer University Games in Napes on July 9. Dutee, with this win, becomes the first Indian woman track and field athlete to clinch a gold in 100 m global event.

#Breakingnews– Dutee Chand @DuteeChand become first Indian sprinter to win Global event title when she blasted out of block to lead women 100m run from start to finish in 11.32s @afiindia #Indianathletics #fisu #universiade2019 #napoli2019 pic.twitter.com/k0Um712JuZ

— Rahul PAWAR (@rahuldpawar) July 9, 2019

Dutee Creates History

Dutee had qualified for the finals after a stellar performance in the semifinals where she clocked 11.58 second, which was held on July 8.

In the finals, Dutee was running in lane number 4. She was the first out of the 8 competing athletes to blast off the starting blocks. The 23-year-old cloaked in 11.32 seconds.

Del Ponte of Switzerland clocked 11:33 seconds and won the silver medal. Lisa Kwayie of Germany clinched the Bronze medal by clocking 11:39 second.

With this win, Dutee Chand becomes the only second Indian sprinter to bag a gold in a global event. The first position is held by Hima Das, who last year, bagged the top slot in the 400m in the World Junior Athletics Championships.

Dutee already holds a silver medal each in 100m and 200m in the 2018 Asian Games. After Inderjeet Singh who won the first spot in the men’s shot put event in the 2015 edition, Dutee also became the second Indian track and field athlete in the World Universiade.

“Put Me Down, I Will Come Back Stronger”

Soon after the won, Dutee tweeted her picture with a medal. She captioned it, “Put me down, I will come back stronger.”

Pull me down, I will come back stronger! pic.twitter.com/PHO86ZrExl

— Dutee Chand (@DuteeChand) July 9, 2019

In an interview with The Indian Express, she said that she dedicates the win to her university, KIIT and its founder Professor Samantaji, people of Odisha and CM Naveen Patnaik.

President Ram Nath Kovind tweeted a congratulatory message. He said, “Please keep up the effort, and look to greater glory at the Olympics.”

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 #PresidentKovind

— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) July 10, 2019

PM Narendra Modi called it an ‘exceptional achievement of an exceptional athlete”.

Exceptional achievement of an exceptional athlete!

Congratulations @DuteeChand for winning a hard earned and well deserved Gold in the Women’s 100 m finals.

You make India proud! #Universiade @FISU https://t.co/LVSkbsPZOP

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 10, 2019

Also Read: The ‘Rebirth’ of Indian Sprinter Dutee Chand: Wins A Big Fight For Women Athletes