My chances are better in 800m than 1500m, believes PU Chitra

10/16/2019

The 2017 and 2019 Asian 1500m champion PU Chitra feels that the Tokyo entry standard for 1500m is very tough and now plans to work on the 800m seriously for a Tokyo ticket. Her coach JS Bhatia believes that she could improve by a big margin in the longer race if she fulfills her potential.

PU Chitra ran 4:11.10s which is slightly better than her earlier personal best of 4:11.55, to finish 30th overall in the women's 1500m heats at the IAAF World Athletics Championships in Doha. With nearly seven seconds to chop off to qualify for next year's Olympics (4:04.20s), the 2017 and 2019 Asian 1500m champion feels that the Tokyo entry standard is very tough which is now making her plan to work on the 800m seriously for a Tokyo ticket.

“I started running the 800m as a senior only this year, I've run three finals and clocked a personal best 2:02.96s at the Lucknow Inter-State Nationals in August. The Tokyo qualification time is 1:59.50s, so I feel my chances are better in the 800m than the 1500m,” Chitra, who achieved an 800-1500m double at the recent National Open Athletics Championships in Ranchi, told Sportstar

Chitra added that she will try both events and decide if she runs at an international meet or nationals early next year. However, she admitted that she has to work a lot on her last 200m stretch in her two-lapper. She believes to get a good finish in the 800m, she needs to work hard on her endurance.

Chitra’s coach J.S. Bhatia, who also coached Jinson Johnson to the men's 1500m national record recently which took Johnson to the Worlds, feels that if Chitra fulfills her potential, she could improve by a big margin in the longer race.

“She has not reached her full potential in the 1500m. Though she has a personal best of 4:11, she is capable of running close to 4:05s, sometimes she can even do a 4:04 and qualify for Tokyo,” said the Dronacharya awardee from his Bengaluru base to Sportstar.

“At the Worlds, her first lap was very easy and then she left the top pack. She tried to come back later but there was some pushing, so she fell back. If she gets some good competition in May or June next year, she can do a lot better in the 1500m.”

He felt that Chitra's physique appeared to be made for the metric mile instead of the 800m as the latter requires more “weight” and “strength”.

“Her body, being very slim, is ideal for the 1500m. And she has done only 1500m training this season. But no problem, we will see the 800m also.”