Asian Gold medalist Gomathi Marimuthu eyes World Athletics Championship next
After Gomathi Marimuthu’s brilliant gold triumph win in the 800 metres category of the Asian Athletic Championship, she is eyeing World Athletics Championship in Doha later this year. Marimuthu has shed light on the hardships she had to endure after her father and coach passed away in 2016.
Though Marumuthu still have to put in the hard yards as she takes on stiffer challenges in the coming years, the athlete from a village near Tiruchirapalli has surely become an overnight sensation in the country after her gold medal feat at the recently-concluded Asian Athletics Championship in Doha.
However, the athlete has stated that her next focus has been on the World Athletics Championship before she goes on to prepare for the Olympics next year.
"My next aim is to perform well in the World Athletics Championship later this year," said, Gomathi, reported PTI.
"I also want to run in the Olympics and am preparing for it. Now more and more people and the government is supporting me. I want to do everything possible to qualify for the Games in Tokyo. The aim is to qualify for the Olympics," she added.
Marimuthu broke her previous personal best record of 2:03:21, which she had achieved at the Federation Cup in Patiala, to clock 2:02:70 seconds at the Asian Championship. However, the daughter of a farm labourer felt that she could have done better if it weren't for the years she lost owing to her injury and lack of support.
"No one knew me before, now that everyone knows me I am getting support from various quarters including the Tamil Nadu government. I could have recorded a better time if I had not lost those years due to injury and lack of support.
"The year 2016 was a tough one for me as I lost my father and coach but my friend Francis Mary encouraged me and told me to continue the sport. Also, a groin injury meant I missed nearly two years," said the employee of the Income Tax Department, Bengaluru.
Marimuthu’s next challenge would be the inter-state athletic championship, which would be held in Kolkata in July before she goes into the World Championship in Doha.
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