2021 Tokyo Olympics | Hima Das set to miss Games after sustaining hamstring injury
Hima Das sustained a knee injury during the women's' 100m heats
Indian sprinter Hima Das will not feature at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, with her sustaining a hamstring injury during the 100m heats during the recently concluded National Inter-State Athletics Championships. Even though she ran in the 200m final, Hima failed to breach the Olympic qualification mark.
It was back in 2018 that Hima Das created history by becoming Indiaâs first sprinter to win a gold medal at an international track event, when she claimed a gold medal in the womenâs 400m event at the World U20 Championships, in Tampere, Finland. She followed it up with a silver medal at the 2018 Asian Games, along with two gold medals in the relay events.
It was expected of her to make her maiden appearance at the Olympics next month, but fate had other plans. Foremost, the Indian relay team was forced to miss the qualifying event in Poland owing to travel restrictions. Hima was all set to make the Tokyo cut at the National Inter-State Athletics Championships, which was the last qualifying event for the mega event.
However, she sustained a hamstring injury during the 100m heats and could not continue. She also pulled out of the womenâs 4*400m event, while her sprint in the 200m event was well short of the qualification mark. Indian sports minister Kiren Rijiju had a word with Hima and insisted her not to lose heart.Â
Injuries are part & parcel of athlete's life. I spoke to @HimaDas8 and told her not to lose heart on missing the Olympics #Tokyo2020 and prepare for 2022 Asian Games, 2022 Commonwealth Games and 2024 Paris Olympics! https://t.co/o6Z6kAtWor pic.twitter.com/GWcPfK5RtF
â Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) June 30, 2021
