Jajpur: Ace sprinter Dutee Chand has stated that she would retire from the sport after the 2024 Paris Olympics, which will be her final participation at the famous quadrennial Games.
Dutee, a two-time Olympian, having previously represented India at the Olympics in Rio and Tokyo lost the 200m sprint to teen phenom, Priya Mohan, in the just ended Khelo India University Games, and had to settle for silver, which might be another reason for her hasty decision to quit after Paris.
Chand expounded on her aspirations in an interview with ESPN following her near defeat, saying honestly, “I’m growing old, I’m not as fast as I used to be.” “I’ll pull along for two-three more years if my body cooperates,” the 26-year-old star sprinter from Odisha explained.
She had won two medals in the KIUG: gold in the 100m, which she successfully defended, and silver in the 200m. Despite winning gold in her pet category, Chand’s time was 11.68 seconds, a few seconds faster than her personal best and national record of 11.17 seconds set at the Indian Grand Prix in Patiala last year.
“My body is becoming slower and I began training quite late this season,” Dutee mentioned, highlighting that as a reason for her performance.
Chand, who won two silver medals at the Asian Games in 2018 and was the only Indian to win a gold medal at the World University Games in 2019, has emerged as India’s most promising and well-decorated female sprinter after PT Usha. However, considering the apparent challenges she is having with her body and her age, Dutee’s path ahead will be arduous. She will be 28 when the Paris Olympics begin, which is undoubtedly one of the driving forces for her choice.
Following retirement, the ace sprinter hopes to build the ‘Dutee Chand Athletics Speed Academy,’ which would teach young sprinters in her native state of Odisha.
