Pilavullakandi Thekkeparambil Usha, popularly known as P T
Usha was born in 1964 may 20 in Payyoli, Kozhikode district, Kerala. She is an
Indian track and field athlete and has been associated with Indian athletics
since 1979. She is one of the greatest athlete of India and called “queen of
Indian track and field” and nicknamed as Payyoli Express. In 1976 the Kerala
state Government started a sports school for women and Usha was chosen to
represent Kozhikode district.
In 1979 Usha participated in the National School Games,
Where she was noticed by O M Nambiar, who coached her throughout her
career. Usha’s debut was at Moscow
Olympics in 1980. In 1982 New Delhi Asiad, she got the silver medal in the 100m
and the 200m, but at the Asian Track and Field Championship in Kuwait a year
later, Usha took the gold in the 400m with a new Asian record.
From 1983-89, Usha got 13 gold at ATF meets. At the 1984 Los
Angeles Olympics, she finished first in the semi finals of the 400m hurdles, but
narrowly missed a medal in the final. Usha lost the bronze by 1/100th
of a second. In the 10th Asian Games held at Seoul in 1986, P T Usha
won 4 gold medals and 1 silver medal in the track and field events. She also
won 5 gold medals at the 6th Asian Track and Field championship in
Jakarta in 1985. Her medals at the same meet is a record
for a single athlete in a single international meet.
Usha has won 101 international medals so far. She is employed as an officer
in the Southern
Railways. In 1985, she was conferred the Padma Shri and the Arjuna Award. Currently she runs the Usha School of Athletics at Kozhikode in Kerala and she coaches young
athletes at her training academy, including Tintu
Lukka, who was qualified for the women's semi-final 800m at the London 2012
Olympics.