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Usha saves India's blushes

P T Usha, who has won more gold medals than any other woman in the history of Asian athletics, is still India's best chance of saving itself from embarrasment as she won her heat to enter the 400 metres women's final on the opening day of the 12th Asian Atheltic Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, today.

The Indians, with a 35-member team, started without a medal on the opening day, and had to be satisfied with two fourth places.

Chinese athletes dominated the proceedings, winning four golds while Kazhakistan and Uzbekistan had one gold each. Japan, the host nation, had to shared one gold each. Japan had to be content with minor medals. There was one Asian record in the women's hammer, and two meet records in the men's hammer and women's long jump.

Usha, who will be run the final on Tuesday, clocked 53.33 secs but will find the going tough in the final as Damayanthi and Dhaksha won the second heat in 52.60 seconds. But a medal is certain for Usha, despite her 33 years.

She was in fine form and with fluent strides, led throughout after the race. Usha later said she was hoping to win the final. She has won the event in 1983, 1985, 1987 and 1989 before she retired in 1990. She then made a comeback in 1994.

There were two Indians who qualified for the men's 400 m final as Paramir Singh clocked 46.51 secs and was third in the third heat. Lijo David was third in the second heat with 46.63 secs. Both qualified as best losers.

There was disappointment for India in the women's long jump where G Prameela was tenth with 6.10 mts. The gold went to Guang Yin Gnan of China with a new meet record of 6.83 mts. Her colleague Yu Yiqun was second with 6.74 mts.

In the women's hammer, Surinderjit was fourth with 47.96 mts as the gold again went to China. Gu Yuan set a new Asian record with 61.86 mts and the old record holder, Aya Suzuki was second with 56.12 mts.

In the women's 100 mts, Rachita Mistry was a poor fifth in her heat with 12.31 secs but in the men's 100 mts, Rajeev Balakrishnan (10.50 secs) and Amit Khanna (10.61 secs ) reached the second round. In the men's hammer, Virender Punia was ninth with 61.97 mts.